Loving You Is A Bloodsport
by LoVe JH writer15
Summary: AU Story. Bellamy Blake is a guard in training assigned to Clarke Griffin's cell. They aren't supposed to fall in love, but things never go as planned. What happens when Clarke is sent to Earth as part of the 100? What will Bellamy do after his sister is confined as well?
1. Chapter 1

**I know I have other projects pending, but this show has pulled me in and this couple… has just overwhelmed me. I haven't seen pure chemistry like this since Logan and Veronica. And there are only 7 episodes of the show so far! I had to write something for these two. **

**This is AU-ish. Hope the Bellarke shippers like this.**

**PART I.**

Bellamy hated being a guard. Well, technically he wasn't a guard but a cadet. Yet, the process was not only boring but irritating. Most of the guards were self-serving pricks with their own agendas to follow. The saddest part was most guards were from Walden and Arcadia, young men who sold their souls to have some authority in a world where the rich were worth everything and ended up abusing that power to hurt their own people. Bellamy was sickened by these guards and he would have thrown his gun and badge at various assholes if it weren't for one thing: his sister.

Octavia was already sixteen and in need of more than a two person ration household could afford. Their mother was always sewing, forgoing sleep for the work that would bring in extra bucks here and there. It wasn't enough, of course, and Bellamy felt nauseous thinking about what else his mother did to help them get by, what she'd had to do to get him the guard opportunity…

Bellamy shook these thoughts away as he approached the Commander's office. He had been directed to the office as soon as he arrived at the guard station and the veiled, paranoid part of him worried that the act was over and they'd found Octavia.

"Blake?" Commander Quincy didn't look up from paperwork on his desk and Bellamy cleared his throat.

"That's me, sir."

"Just a cadet, huh?"

"Yes, sir. Started last month."

"Hmm."

Bellamy watched the older man rifle through folders, ignoring him though he'd been sent there for a reason.

"Is there something I need to do, Commander?" Bellamy kept his voice even, making sure no disdain or impatience colored his words.

"Yes, yes." Commander Quincy stopped at one manila folder and opened it on his desk, analyzing the contents and nodding. "Your assignment."

Bellamy stepped closer to the commander's desk and took the folder into his hands.

"Clarke Griffin. Age 17. Confined 7/12." He looked at his superior officer, confused.

"That is your assignment, cadet."

"A Confined teenager?"

"A girl with mental episodes and a tendency for uninhibited violence. I need someone who's strong enough to deal with a girl like this for the months that remain before her execution."

"Don't you mean her trial?"

The Confined had time before their eighteen birthdays to prepare for the trial that would determine if they deserved a pardon or an execution/ floating.

"No, I mean her execution. Do you know how many delinquents we carry in this ship? Too many, cadet. Some are not worth the hassle. This girl is one of them. All you need to do is give her the daily meals and essentials she's entitled to before judgment day. She's a testy prisoner, but she is just that. A prisoner. We uphold the law and you will make sure she understands that. She isn't a Phoenix privileged anymore. Do you understand your assignment, Blake?"

Bellamy was staring at Clarke Griffin's photo, his brow furrowed. This girl was still so young- only a year older than Octavia- and her fate was already sealed. The Ark already counted her as dead. What had she done to gain so much disregard for her life? Who was this beautiful criminal?

"Blake." The commander's voice was firm.

"I understand, sir." He shut the folder with one hand, but the image of the girl was still behind his eyelids.

* * *

Clarke had punched the wall, instantly bruising all the knuckled on her right hand, but she didn't care. As castigation for the last incident with the guard, Commander Quincy had personally come to yell at her and take all the art supplies she'd collected to pass her Confined days away. Her drawings were all she had to keep her sane.

In the first weeks of her confinement she had thought of her father and mother and Wells and the life she'd once had, but those memories were more bitter than sweet and she began compartmentalizing for her own good. The guards who fed her and gave her the supplies to live were cruel, taunting her and leering at her, making the experience humiliating and horrible for Clarke.

Clarke's mother had done her best to provide her daughter some luxuries, like extra water rations and the occasional sketchbook or chalk. Clarke appreciated this, though she hadn't been able to see her mother since her confinement. Wherever the councilor was, he was still angry at Clarke and her father, choosing to forget all about the man who'd been one of his closest friends and the girl who was his son's only best friend.

Wells. Another sore subject for Clarke. She'd grown up alongside him, both fortunate enough to be part of Phoenix with parents in the council. The past year had turned Clarke's world upside down. She'd lost her father, been estranged from her mother and friends, and discovered her best friend was responsible for her father's floating. It was too much for a teenaged girl to take in, even one as mature as Clarke.

He'd tried to visit her once (Clarke wondered what strings he'd pulled to achieve that) but Clarke had screamed and clawed at him until Wells left with angry red welts on his face and tears streaming down his cheeks. She had sobbed herself to sleep that night but regret did not come. Wells got her father killed and when she'd tried to continue her father's work, she was Confined and charged for treason.

Being Confined was the ultimate restriction. The Ark was limited, but seeing four grey walls ever day did something to a person. That was why when one guard took the insults too far and began degrading her father's character, Clarke had snapped. She had kept things inside her for a long time, hadn't even mourned her father properly, and she'd had enough. She jumped off her bed, grabbed the guard by the back of his uniform and slammed him mercilessly against the metal door until he fell unconscious to the floor, blood spewing from his mouth and nose. Other guards came running in, pushing her to the wall and shouting all sorts of things at her but she didn't care.

That was last week and since then Clarke was given her allotted food by the commander himself, who would glower at her and throw the food at her feet. He had taken her art supplies and basically laughed in her face. That day she sensed a change coming because it was mid-afternoon at least and she hadn't been fed once. The commander must have gotten tired of the grunt work and was assigning another guard to take care of her. She could have laughed at the trouble she'd become, but she still remembered being the "good girl" and "golden child" of the Ark and it made her upset to think that now she was worthless to those who had loved her years before.

The door of her cell was suddenly pushed open and Clarke looked up from her casual seat on the floor to observe the new guard. He was younger than the others but his face was still wearied, as if he'd experienced true tragedy in his young life. She was sure she looked the same.

"Clarke Griffin." He said gruffly and she tilted her head.

"Sounds like you know me."

"I read your file."

"Ah, I wonder what lies they've put in there."

The guard's deep brown eyes flickered with something she couldn't decipher.

"I brought you a meal."

"I can see that." Her blue eyes went to the tray in his hands and the soggy looking bread and meat sitting on it. "No dessert?"

The guard's lips quirked.

"Sorry, Princess, you don't get any."

"Princess?"

The guard's eyes widened for a split second, as if realizing he'd slipped and interacted too closely with the prisoner he was supposed to be on high alert with.

"I kind of like it. It's refreshing being called something other than 'traitorous bitch'."

The guard smirked.

"You're not what I expected."

"If you were basing your expectations on the commander's file on me, you are thoroughly screwed."

"I can see that. Commander Quincy is a dick, though, I don't trust him or his files."

This time it was Clarke whose eyes widened in surprise.

"What kind of guard are you if you don't worship Quincy?"

"Not a guard. A reluctant cadet with nowhere else to go."

"What's your name, cadet?"

"Bellamy Blake."

"I think we're going to get along, Bellamy Blake."

Bellamy chuckled.

"And I think you're going to get me in trouble, Clarke Griffin."

* * *

"Done! Ta-da." Clarke made a flourish with her paint-streaked hand and moved so Bellamy could see the painting she'd been working on for days.

"Shit, Clarke, that's amazing." Bellamy's jaw dropped at the vivid detail of the painting.

Clarke had made him cover his eyes before entering her cell with her daily food rations and small toiletries, teasing that the painting could hang next to DaVinci's if any museums existed. And he had to admit she was right.

Clarke had outlined the solar system of the galaxy with lines for space and outlying planets. The center of the painting was the Earth seen from the windows of the Ark. The planet was shaded in different blues and greens with white mixed in to create an ethereal glow.

"Really? You like it?" her azure eyes were hesitant.

"Absolutely. I've never seen anyone as talented as you." Bellamy turned from the painting to the girl herself.

"Thanks, Bell." She grinned.

"No problem, Princess." His smile was so warm and his eyes, trained only on her, were the color of melting chocolate, so easy to get lost in.

She felt herself gravitating closer to him until her chest was pressed against his and she felt his breath on her face. Her eyes closed as their lips touched and Clarke swore stars exploded from the chaste contact. He pulled away first, stroking her blonde locks gently and giving her that beautiful smile she'd fallen in love with in two short months.

"Bellamy…"

"Shh. You don't have to say anything right now. We have time." He kissed her again and though Clarke wanted to get lost in his kiss, his last statement had reminded her of an undeniable truth fast approaching.

She pushed him away but kept her hands around his neck.

"Bell, we don't have time. You know that my 18th birthday is next month and that my trial will be that day. A trial that ends in-

"Don't say it." Bellamy's voice was hard and Clarke sighed, stroking his face to soften his features.

"A trial that ends in certain death."

Bellamy's jaw clenched.

"I won't lose you, Clarke."

"Just promise you won't forget about me."

"I would never." He swore and she kissed him deeply, breathing in his scent like it was the oxygen Earth's surviving humans so desperately needed.

"You have to go." She reminded him.

"Ten more minutes. Or maybe fifteen." He ran his hands down her back, intent on taking her lips in his again but Clarke stepped out of his grip.

"You can't, Bell. The viewing party is tonight. You wanted to take Octavia, remember? It's her only chance at a fun night and she deserves it."

Bellamy had almost forgotten about that. He had meant to take Octavia to the masquerade viewing party so she could interact with people who weren't him and their mother, but this moment with Clarke had removed all rational thought from his brain. God, he loved her. More than he thought he could love someone who wasn't his family. He'd known her two months and it felt like he'd known her two lifetimes. He couldn't imagine life without her and the impending trial was eating away at him. He'd started having plaguing nightmares where he watched Clarke from behind a screen as Commander Quincy laughed and pressed the button that sent his love screaming through space.

Bellamy was not someone who took things lying down and the same way he knew Octavia was his responsibility, he knew he loved Clarke more than his own life and would stop at nothing to save her. He hadn't figured out how to do it, but he still had hope.

"I'll be back tomorrow. Same time."

"I know, silly. You always come back." Clarke rolled her eyes playfully and laughed.

"Are you saying you're getting tired of me?"

"Yep. Your presence is quite suffocating at this point." Clarke deadpanned and he pulled her into his chest, pressing kisses down her neck and around her pink lips until she was gasping for breath.

"Suffocating, huh?"

"Yes." She moaned in between her retort. "I'm requesting a new guard."

"Uh-huh." He gave her a final kiss on the lips before stepping away from her intoxicating body.

"Make sure Octavia has a good time. Viewing parties come seldom but they're worth the wait."

"The best things are."

Clarke blushed but held his fixed gaze.

"Good night, Princess."

"Good night, Bellamy."

Bellamy shut the cell door behind him, making his way to his apartment to give Octavia the news. He couldn't wait to see her reaction, the way her eyes would light up and she'd laugh that bright, tinkling sound she reserved for those brief moments of true joy.

Bellamy then thought of Clarke, always anxious to get back to her, and imagined what it would be like to live at peace with his family and his Clarke, away from the Ark, the Council, and Commander Douchebag.

Bellamy had no idea what that night would lead to. He had no idea Octavia would be Confined, his mother would be floated, and he would be demoted from guard to janitor. He had no idea he wouldn't see Clarke again for many days. And he could never have guessed the next time he'd see the girl he loved and his sister would be on a crazy attempt at discovery and exploration.

Bellamy wouldn't find himself again until he arrived on Earth.


	2. Chapter 2

**I got so many reviews and you guys were saying you like it and I am so happy! I love these two and I am excited to watch this week's episode and all that follow. I had to post another chapter because you guys are just the best. Thank you for the support!**

**So, even though Clarke and Bellamy are already in love, this won't make them instant partners and leaders on Earth. They still think differently and go about things differently. That's what we love about them, right?**

**(Oh, and there's one quote I took from a hilarious girl on tumblr, so if she reads this and recognizes that line, it's all hers, I just thought it was funny and I used it.)**

**PART II.**

"Beginning countdown. Five minutes and counting." the voice over the drop ship's loudspeaker droned in the background.

Clarke stared blankly at her hands and at the wristband the Ark had decided would act as a security device to record all her vitals and record them for further knowledge. Clarke almost wished she was dead. Earth had been one of her dreams since childhood, but she had never imagined going with 99 other delinquents sentenced by the council as expendable puppets. There was nothing for her on Earth.

She couldn't see her parents again because her father was gone and her mother would be thousands of miles in space while Clarke struggled to survive on a planet humans had escaped a century earlier. Wells had been Confined-for what she had no idea- and he was on board the ship, but Clarke didn't count him as anything anymore. He had done an unforgivable thing. Wells had tried to talk to her but she'd abruptly turned her head and he'd stopped attempting conversation. She was glad his seat was far enough from hers that she could ignore him temporarily.

Clarke watched the ship fill until there were only two seats left, one on her left side and one near a girl who Clarke remembered from school. Her name might have been Sophia.

"Two minutes and counting." The voice said and Clarke did a glance around at her fellow shipmates.

There seemed to be about 100 already.

"Final prisoner." A guard barked, pushing in a girl who was dragging her feet and doing absolutely everything to give the guard a hard time. "Move it!"

"Fuck you!" the girl hissed but was forced to the seat next to Sophia and quickly strapped in not so gently.

The guard growled something at her and left the ship, while the girl just sat there glaring at the general surroundings. Clarke surveyed her quizzically. Something about the brunette was familiar. She had a distinctive nose and bright blue-green eyes giving a tenacity to her fierce expressions, but it was something more…. The girl carried herself with self-respect and power, a commanding presence. Like Bellamy.

Clarke's eyes shut at the reminder. She hadn't seen Bellamy for several weeks. He had never come back to her. Clarke had tried to stay optimistic and told herself he was on other assignments, but after the days piled up she lost hope that he'd return. She couldn't figure out what had happened. Was he the one tired of her? Had he found someone else? Had he been killed for hiding his sister?

Clarke didn't know, but thinking of Bellamy sent pangs through her body and her heart ached in her chest. She missed him so much. For two months she forgot she was Confined for treason, she forgot about Wells and her father's death, and she forgot she was hovering through life and death every moment she was on the Ark. Bellamy had become her world and now she'd never see him again. He would die and she would die and neither would know. They would forget their time together and life would become as meaningless as before.

"One minute and counting. Fifty nine. Fifty eight…" the voice was louder but it might have been because the drop ship had gone silent.

The 100 were remembering pasts, contemplating futures, and praying for the present to matter. A boy two seats to her right was praying and the girl in front of her was close to hyperventilating. Clarke wanted to tell her this would make the trip harder as the oxygen would build up incorrectly and she'd feel lightheaded, but her voice felt strangely hoarse and she said nothing.

"Twenty… Nineteen… Eighteen…"

At that moment, a shot rang out and frantic shouts followed. Clarke's head snapped towards the closing door of the drop ship and she felt her heart stop as a tall figure jumped through the door, landing on his feet exactly before the door closed completely.

"Ten… Nine…Eight…" the automated voice continued, unaware of what had happened.

Clarke still didn't know what had gone on outside, but she didn't care because there before her was the man she thought she'd never see again.

"Bellamy!"

Clarke blinked as another voice called out his name and she recognized the stubborn brunette from before. Of course. Octavia Blake, Bellamy's little sister. Clarke's eyes focused on Bellamy and she saw that his intense gaze had never wavered from her.

"We're moving!" someone shouted and Clarke gasped as the jarring motion of the drop ship pulled her roughly in her seat.

She heard a seatbelt and harness click beside her and noticed Bellamy had taken the empty seat on her left. He hadn't stopped looking at her and Clarke met his gaze, unsure of what words would be adequate. She couldn't verbalize the feelings rushing through her. Love. Relief. Fear. Anxiety. Gratitude.

As the drop ship zoomed towards Earth, people began screaming from the rocky turbulence. Clarke could only gasp as she was shaken in her seat, her body thrown back and forth so that she hit the seat and the harness repeatedly. A strong hand gripped hers and she turned to see Bellamy giving her a small smile.

"Hold on, Princess. I'm here for you."

And she squeezed his hand because nothing else had to be said.

* * *

The landing had been brutal and some kids had been too hasty removing their harnesses so that on touching down they'd been flung to the floor. There were two deaths and countless injuries and they'd been on Earth a total of ten minutes.

Clarke hadn't spoken to Bellamy yet. After the landing, he'd let go of her hand and run to embrace his sister and make sure she was okay. Clarke had taken the initiative of looking over the injured to calculate the severity of the injuries. She knew this would be her role on Earth. She was the only one qualified to heal and doctor the injured, even if she had been barred before finishing her apprenticeship. She had worked with her mother for many years, though, and was not deterred.

Wells had twisted his wrist and was groaning as Clarke held his wrist and inspected it.

"It'll heal." She stated, walking away before he could respond and bumping into a boy with long brown hair and mischievous eyes.

"Apologies, beautiful." He grinned.

"Yeah, whatever." She mumbled, moving to step past him but he blocked her path.

"Finn Collins." He held out his hand and Clarke looked at it for a second before pressing her hand into his.

"Clarke Griffin."

"Nice to meet you, beautiful." He still held her hand and she was in the pulling it back when a throat cleared behind Finn.

Clarke looked up and met narrowed brown orbs. Bellamy.

"Collins? The spacewalker." He said it with derision.

"The one and only." Finn seemed proud.

"Right, the one and only idiot who wasted three months of oxygen for a stroll through space."

Finn, suddenly picking up on the tension, gave an awkward chuckle and said something about checking on the injured. Bellamy didn't bother watching him leave, instead glancing down at Clarke.

"I thought I'd never see you again." He whispered, his voice almost cracking and Clarke felt tears prick her eyes.

"I thought you'd given up on me."

"I would never give up on you, Clarke." His voice raised slightly in his passion. "They found Octavia. I-I lost my mother and my job when they Confined her."

Clarke felt stupid for thinking Bellamy would forget about her. He had made his feelings evident the same way she had. If she loved him it was because she felt all the love he had for her.

"I'm sorry."

"It doesn't matter anymore. We're both here. Safe. Free." He wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her into him.

"Are we really safe, Bell? We don't know anything about this planet anymore. Where are we?"

Bellamy turned his gaze to the gathered delinquents, who were standing uncertainly by the door.

"Let's find out."

* * *

Clarke frowned at the rumpled map in her hands.

"They dropped us on the wrong damn mountain."

"What?" Bellamy looked over her shoulder and she pointed to their location and then at the spot marked Mount Weather.

"That's where the supplies are. They sent us here and sent our more important food stores and materials to that mountain."

"Fucking idiots." He said under his breath and Clarke hid a smile.

Bellamy only cursed when he was truly frustrated and upset. He must have been pissed. And she couldn't blame him. They had managed to construct tents and set up a crappy med lab on the lower floor of the drop ship where Clarke did what she could with what she had to help the injured. They still had no water source or food and people had begun to complain, mostly to Bellamy.

He was the oldest of the group of underage teenagers and the noticeably powerful air he carried with him had drawn its followers. Clarke had watched bemusedly as several girls pressed themselves against him with fake tears, begging him to keep them alive on the scary scary Earth. There would have been more injuries if Clarke didn't have such good self-control.

"Why don't we organize a scouting party to check out the area and find a river or water source? That's the biggest thing right now, isn't it?" Octavia offered.

Clarke gave her a smile. She liked Octavia. She was as feisty as she'd seemed the first seconds she'd laid eyes on her, but she was intelligent and quick-witted. Clarke could see why Bellamy had fought so hard for her. His sister, like him, was a precious life and the Ark had forsaken them all.

"She's right. We need to establish a fresh-water source before anything else." Clarke added and Bellamy nodded.

"Any volunteers?"

"I'm going!" Octavia jumped at the chance and Bellamy gave her a skeptical look.

"No, you aren't. We don't know if it's safe out there. You could get hurt."

"I could get hurt here too. We know nothing about Earth yet. I want to help us gain some knowledge."

"I'll go." A lanky boy with large goggles on his head spoke up.

"Me too." The boy's friend said.

"And who are you two?" Bellamy asked, unimpressed, and Clarke rolled her eyes at his tone.

"I'm Jasper and this is my friend Monty. We've studied all sorts of terrestrial flora and fauna. This would be a great opportunity to study things in person." He chattered and Bellamy nodded dismissively.

Clarke caught Jasper checking Octavia out and she hoped for his sake Bellamy hadn't seen what she had.

"Fine. You two are going. Spacewalker, why don't you make yourself useful?"

Finn walked over to them and shrugged.

"Sure. I'd love to explore the mystical forest."

Octavia giggled and Finn gave her a little wink before turning to Clarke.

"What about you, beautiful? Up for a walk in the woods?"

Bellamy glared at him but Clarke spoke before he could.

"Actually, I am."

"Clarke, you can't go with them."

"Excuse me?" she raised an eyebrow and Bellamy took her arm to pull her out of earshot of the group.

"I don't want you to get hurt out there."

"I understand that, but you can't give me orders, Bellamy."

"I'm trying to do what's best for us."

"Listen, if you want to take the role of unofficial leader, go ahead, but I am not yours to dictate and I have my own duties to take care of. If I go, I can scout the area for medicinal herbs and roots."

He sighed in frustration.

"I can't go with you. There are things to handle in the camp."

"And that's fine. I'll go with the guys and Octavia and we'll come back in a few hours with a usable water source and maybe new medicinal plants. I need to do this, Bell." She said softly.

"Clarke... I don't want to lose you again."

"You won't." she stepped closer and pressed a kiss to his lips.

"Take care of my sister."

"I will." She promised.

"And come back to me."

"I will, Bell. Don't worry." She kissed him again and smiled before going over to the group and gesturing to the best route to take.

Octavia was bubbling with excitement and talking to Jasper and Monty about who knew what. Wells had joined the group, which made Clarke tense up but she refused to let his presence bother her anymore and she began leading the way with Finn behind her, the three conversing behind him, and Wells trailing solitarily at the end.

"Bellamy, we need you over here." A boy named Miller called and Bellamy waited until Clarke's golden locks disappeared in the dense forestry before going over to help with shelter construction.

* * *

"So… you and Bellamy, huh? How'd that happen?" Finn fell into step beside her.

Clarke groaned.

"I will not discuss my love life with someone I just met. Besides, we have more pressing matters at hand."

"Just saying, beautiful. You two seem so different."

"What do you mean?" she was genuinely curious.

She had always thought she and Bellamy were kindred spirits. They came from different classes but their stories were similar. They had dark secrets that drowned them and they'd lost people they cared about. They had formed defense mechanism to preserve themselves but they'd allowed each other to break past those walls and find some happiness.

"Well, he seems self-serving and power-hungry. He was certainly quick to assume the position of camp dictator."

"He's not a dictator."

"Oh?"

"He may end up being the leader, but it's because people want to follow him not because he usurps the role."

"You seem sure of that."

"I am. You don't know Bellamy like I do. Don't pretend to know either of us." Her tone was cold and Finn raised his hands in mock surrender.

"Didn't meant to upset you, Princess."

"Don't call me that." She said immediately and Finn whistled.

"Testy. All right, Clarke, I'll leave you alone. I can take a hint."

"Can you?" she snapped.

Finn just grinned and fell back to talk to Jasper. Octavia took his spot next to her and Clarke saw her smiling knowingly at her.

"What?"

"Nothing." Octavia lied.

"What?" Clarke insisted.

"It's just… I've never seen anyone care so much about my brother. Apart from me, but duh, he's my brother and he practically raised me. You, though, I can see it when you look at him and when you talk about him."

Clarke's cheeks reddened. Was she that obvious?

"I-uh-I don't know what you mean."

"Don't worry, Clarke, he's the same way. He looks at you like he just found Jesus."

Clarke burst into laughter and Octavia's tinkling laugh joined her.

"Thanks for that."

"No prob. My brother's had his share of girlfriends and they've been the worst. You're different, Clarke." She said thoughtfully.

"Is that a good thing?"

"Hell yes."

Clarke smiled at Octavia's free-spirited charisma. She was a young girl who'd suffered as much as Clarke and Bellamy had, but she kept happiness alive and her frankness was refreshing.

"There!" Monty shouted and the girls followed his gaze to an aquamarine lake.

"It's beautiful." Octavia said reverently, rushing forward.

Clarke followed at a more cautious pace, analyzing the water. She had crouched to dip her finger in the water and test its pH when she heard a splash and heard whistles from the boys.

"I love Earth." Jasper said in awe and Clarke saw Octavia floating on the water, stripped down to an undershirt and underwear.

"Octavia! What are you doing? The water could be poisonous!" Clarke exclaimed but Octavia rolled her eyes.

"Ugh, relax, Clarke. You sound like my brother."

Her brother, the guy Clarke had promised to take care of his sister. And said sister was carelessly throwing herself into unknown waters.

"Octavia, you need to get out until we know more about it."

The younger girl ignored her.

"Ease up, beautiful." Finn said, beginning to take off his vest and shirt.

Jasper and Monty were in the process of undressing as well. That was why Clarke was the only one who saw the ripples of water move quickly to where Octavia was bathing.

"Oh my God." She said, catching Wells attention.

"You need to get out! Now!" Wells' voice boomed and the other guys halted, even Octavia stopped floating to look at him.

"Octavia! Swim to shore!" Clarke urged and the others noticed the dark shape zipping through the water.

Octavia had just turned towards the shape when it emerged from the water, its teeth gleaming and snapped down on her leg, pulling her under before she had a chance to scream.

"Octavia!" Jasper shouted.

Clarke didn't hesitate before moving to the mouth of the lake where large stones lay.

"Push these in, it'll distract that thing while I get her out!" she ordered and the four boys did as she said, while Clarke dropped her pack and jacket on the side.

She waited until the stones dropped in the water before easing her way into the water. As she expected, the snake creature released Octavia, who coughed as she appeared on the surface again, and swam to where the boulders sank. Clarke paddled water as fast as she could, thankful the lake wasn't so deep, and grabbed Octavia struggling to get them back to shore.

"Clarke!" Wells bellowed and Clarke paused as she saw the sea beast growing tired of the sinking stones and swimming back to the girls.

Clarke pulled with all her might, not turning back to the creature as she paddled desperately. When she reached the shore she helped Octavia up and jumped out right after. The snake's jaw snapped behind her in the water and Clarke threw herself backwards on the safety of the shore, breathing heavily. Octavia sat up next to her, whimpering from the gash on her leg and staring horrified at the creature that had hurt her.

"Are you guys okay?" Finn bent down to help Clarke up as Jasper and Monty supported Octavia on shaky legs.

"Yeah, but she has to get back to camp."

"There's a river a quarter mile ahead. I can see it from here." Wells said.

"Octavia needs to rest and I need to tend to the bite before it gets infected."

"It's about a two mile walk. Can you make it?" Finn addressed Octavia.

"I have to. It hurts like hell, but it'll be worse if Clarke can't treat it." Octavia, with Clarke's help, put her clothes back on and hobbled forward, almost falling forward before Wells caught her.

"She can't walk on it and I'm not strong enough to support her."

"I am. I'll help you back to camp." Wells said and Clarke gave him a brief nod of thanks.

"Can you three continue to the river and meet us back at camp?"

"We'll be fine." Finn answered and Monty gave him a look of disbelief.

"Yeah, we can do it." Jasper said, puffing out his chest to appear brave in front of Octavia, though inside that snake was still making him want to cry.

"Okay. Come back soon. You don't want to be caught out here after dark." Clarke said and began the walk to camp with Wells and Octavia.

* * *

"They're back!" one of the kids on watch cried out and Bellamy immediately ran out of his tent, where he, Murphy, Miller, and Shaun had been discussing patrols.

Bellamy froze when he saw Clarke enter the camp first, her brow furrowed in worry, but when he saw his limping sister being supported by the Wells kid he rushed forward.

"What happened?" he took Octavia from Wells but turned to Clarke.

"She was attacked in the lake by a sea snake. It was gigantic and it got her in the leg."

Octavia rolled up her pants leg so he could see the gash and Bellamy saw her bite her lip in pain.

"Clarke, help her!"

"Take her to the drop ship. I have to clean it and wrap it. I brought some seaweed back; it should prevent infection and close the wound."

Bellamy followed her to the makeshift medical facility and placed Octavia on the cot.

"Where's Spacewalker and Goggles and his friend?"

"They went on without us after seeing a river. It might be usable. The lake is too dangerous to use."

Clarke bent to examine the bite and began pressing a wet cloth against it. Octavia moaned in pain and Bellamy felt anger rise in his chest. Clarke was wrapping the wound in seaweed when he spoke.

"I told you to protect her, Clarke. Did you forget that?"

His tone was hostile and Clarke looked at him with undisguised fury.

"Did you forget that you can't talk to me like I'm your pet or your inferior?"

"My sister is hurt because you didn't do what I asked, so I can talk to you however I want!"

Clarke was prepared to raise her voice and scream at him when Octavia intervened.

"Hey! Stop it, both of you. Bells, she saved my life. I was stupid and jumped in some lake because I wanted to swim and Clarke told me not to but I did it anyway. That's how I am, you know that. Clarke distracted the creature and she jumped in after me. I wouldn't be here if weren't for her so quit yelling at her. And Clarke, he doesn't mean to be a dick, he's just worried and stressed. Please don't hold it against him."

They both took deep breaths and Octavia sensed the storm had smoothed over.

"I'm sorry, Clarke. I didn't mean to yell at you or accuse you of things that weren't your fault."

Clarke knew Bellamy's apologies were rare, as he was headstrong like her and apologies were few and far between.

"It's fine. We're all off kilter today. We didn't expect any of this and we weren't prepared for Earth. We have to make it work, though, Bellamy and if you're going to be the leader of this camp you need to keep your temper in check and trust more in the people, but especially in me. Okay?"

"I trust you with my life and with my sister's life, Clarke. You and Octavia are all I have."

"Actually, Bell, you have groupies now and a crowd to lead and stuff so… you should get on that." Octavia's comment lightened the atmosphere and Clarke smiled at the girl.

"Right. The masses to lead."

"It's not too big a job for you, is it?" Clarke teased.

"If I can deal with you, I can deal with a group of underage delinquents."

Clarke's mouth opened in protest.

"Hey! I was a perfectly behaved prisoner."

"Sure, and you didn't put a guard in the hospital for three weeks."

"He started it." Her icy blue eyes narrowed.

"You beat up a guard? You're more badass than I thought." Octavia said.

"I don't look for trouble, it just appears in my life." Clarke said, crossing her arms.

"Story of my life." Octavia agreed and Bellamy rolled his eyes at her.

"You are a different story altogether. When will her leg heal?"

"If this seaweed works like I think it will, a week, week and a half." Clarke replied.

"You won't be able to leave camp until then, O, got that? I'll assign someone to help you around camp."

"I don't need a babysitter." She grumbled.

"Think of it as a personal bodyguard then."

"It's still a babysitter."

Bellamy shrugged.

"Did you get everything situated here?" Clarke asked him.

"Not even close, but there will be night patrols and tomorrow we'll start building a wall around camp. There are enough tools and weapons to begin hunting. I'll lead the hunting parties every other day."

She gave him an impressed look.

"What?" he asked.

"You're a natural." She said.

Bellamy took this with great merit. Clarke's opinion was a valuable one, not just because he loved her, but because she was smart and astute. Bellamy had always wanted to do something important with his life and on the Ark he had been destined for nothing. He didn't know how to save his sister or his mother and being a guard was not what he aimed for. On Earth, it was different. He meant something to these people, to Octavia, and most importantly, to Clarke.

"I can't do this without you."

"I'm not going anywhere, Bellamy." She gave him a soft smile but their warm moment was interrupted by shouts from outside.

"That sounds like Finn." Octavia said.

"Stay here. I'm not finished wrapping your leg." Clarke said before going with Bellamy to the source of the commotion.

It was indeed Finn, towing a trembling Monty.

"Where's the kid with the goggles?" Bellamy asked and Clarke shook her head, pushing her way through the crowd with Bellamy's help.

"Finn, what happened?" she asked when they reached the front.

"We were crossing the river. Jasper went first and when he reached the other side-

"They shot a spear through his chest!" Monty interrupted frantically.

"_They_?" Bellamy inquired.

"Grounders. We are not alone here. And they don't want us here. They have Jasper."

Monty was tearing as Finn spoke and Bellamy looked over at Clarke. Fear was mirrored in their eyes.

"What do we do now?" Clarke asked in a whisper so only he could hear her.

"We get Jasper back. Then, we find these Grounders and show them what we're capable of."


	3. Chapter 3

**I will be trying to follow the show's storyline and just changing it to fit the purposes of my story. Some things will be changed completely and added and so on, but I think as long as the show goes on, so will this fanfic. I hope you guys like how I'm writing this. Again, thank you for all the reviews. Your quick feedback is astounding! I love you all.**

**PART III.**

"Clarke, we're leaving." Bellamy entered the medical bay where she was fastening the bandage around Octavia's leg.

"One second. How does that feel? Too tight?"

"No, it's fine. Thanks, Clarke."

"You're welcome." Clarke wiped her hands on spare cloth and went to gather some first aid supplies into her pack for use on Jasper.

She'd have to do more formal procedures back at camp but if he was bleeding profusely when they found him, she could at least wrap the wound.

"Octavia, I have Atom waiting outside to take you to your tent when you're ready."

"In that case, I'll never be ready to be treated like a dumb child." The brunette glared at her brother.

"Be reasonable, O. Both Clarke and I are leaving camp. I need someone to watch over you while I'm gone."

"Whatever, Bellamy."

"Let's go, Bell." Clarke tugged at his arm and he sighed, allowing himself to be led outside.

"She can be so difficult."

"What else can you expect from a teenage girl? Half the camp will be difficult, you know."

"Yeah, I know, but the others listen to me. Octavia blows me off."

"She's your sister. You can't control her like everyone else because she knows you better. And yes, that applies to me too." She added before he could speak.

"I don't mean to act like a jackass, but the people that matter to me need to be protected."

"And we appreciate it… to an extent."

"Are we ready to go?" Finn asked, standing from his perch on a log.

"Murphy!" Bellamy called and the thin boy walked to his other side. "Let's go."

The group of five began walking and Clarke's cerulean eyes ran over the woods with mistrust. She'd been there not two hours earlier and there they were again. It would be dark in three or four hours and even traveling with four males, she wouldn't feel comfortable in the forest at night.

Wells and Finn seemed to be getting along and Clarke was glad because their friendship could get them both off her back. Wells had stopped trying to apologize for the past and Finn had stopped his flirting. Bellamy must have appreciated that too. The only reason Clarke hadn't broached the topic was that a small part of her was glad he was jealous because she'd been feeling that way earlier. In a camp of immature teenagers, a man like Bellamy stood out and Clarke saw how the girls were looking at him.

The problem with their relationship was how unofficial it was. Neither hooked up with other people but they hadn't discussed what they meant to each other, not really. They weren't "dating" and people saw they had a special connection and love but they hadn't admitted it to each other. If they didn't establish the relationship, how could they move forward?

"Penny for your thoughts?"

"Offer me something better and maybe I'll tell you." She quipped and he chuckled.

"A kiss?"

"Nah." She wrinkled her nose and he poked her playfully in the side.

"What's on your mind, Princess?"

The nickname brought her back to when Finn made the mistake of using it. Clarke had snapped at him because she associated the nickname as an endearing term Bellamy had given her and wasn't for public use. This added to her argument about establishing the relationship. Sure, the camp had seen Bellamy and Clarke kiss but girls were still attracted to him and weren't afraid to make it obvious.

"It's not important right now."

Bellamy raised an eyebrow.

"If it's important to you, it is."

Clarke glanced behind them and frowned as Murphy trailed directly behind him. If he was trying to eavesdrop, he was being obvious about it. Finn and Wells were somewhere ahead of them, but she didn't want them to overhear their conversation either. Bellamy realized she wanted some privacy and he raised his voice so they could all hear him.

"If we split up, we can cover more ground."

"Good idea. Clarke, you can come with me." Finn smiled and she resisted the urge to groan.

"Clarke and I will be going this way." Bellamy's voice left no room for questions. "Murphy will help you two. Shout if you find anything." He moved for the left path and Clarke sped up to meet his stride.

Wells gave her a worried look, but she ignored it. Wells didn't trust Bellamy, but he didn't know him at all. Clarke knew what she was doing and there was no one she trusted more than Bellamy to protect her.

* * *

"Spacewalker needs to be taught some manners." Bellamy grumbled when they were alone.

"How so?"

"Are you kidding? He's all over you."

"And?" she asked nonchalantly.

Bellamy's jaw tightened.

"Don't play games with me, Princess."

"I'm not the one playing. Yeah, Finn's said some flirty comments, but what about the parade of bimbos going after you?"

"Parade of bimbos?"

"Don't pretend you didn't notice. They practically fainted in your arms."

"Jealous, Princess?" a cocky smirk appeared on his face, his eyes flashing tantalizingly.

Clarke took a deep breath to clear her head because she had something to say and she couldn't let his handsome features distract her.

"It's not only jealous, Bellamy. What am I to you?" she was blunt.

Bellamy stopped walking to give her an incredulous expression.

"Do you really not know after what we've been through?"

"I know that you care about me, but apart from that I'm out of the loop. We aren't officially together and you've done nothing to fix that. We kiss here and there and you call me princess and what?"

He didn't speak but his eyes were trained on her face, taking in the curve of her lips and the flushed shade to her creamy skin. The sun was shining through the treetops, illuminating the gold strands of her hair and in that moment he knew he wouldn't hide it anymore.

"I love you, Clarke Griffin."

Her striking blue eyes widened at his admission.

"I-I thought you wouldn't say it."

"Scared, Princess?" he raised an eyebrow, baiting her.

The challenge wasn't lost on her.

"You don't scare me, Bellamy. I love you too. I've loved you for a while now."

"A part of me loved you the moment I saw your file and I saw that picture of you. Commander Quincy was talking about your execution and I couldn't imagine a person as beautiful as you dying. Not on my watch."

She tilted her head up and he leaned down to kiss her.

"Clarke." He whispered against her lips.

"Hmm?"

"Will you be my girlfriend?"

She gave a small laugh.

"Yes, Bellamy, I will."

* * *

They caught up to the others a quarter mile after. Finn was crouched on the ground, studying footprints and broken branches.

"They passed through here." He declared.

"Is that blood?" Wells pointed and they all saw the red liquid staining the leaves.

An anguished cry rang out and Clarke moved forward instinctively.

"What the hell was that?" Bellamy asked.

"Jasper." She said and pushed through the remaining trees until she came upon a clearing with a single tree at the center.

A tree that held an unconscious Jasper tied to it, his chest exposed and bloody.

"Clarke, be careful." Finn said coming up behind her.

The group moved forward, Clarke in front.

"What happened to him?" Bellamy was saying.

Clarke was so focused on detailing Jasper's wounds she didn't see the disturbed ground in front of her, never saw the trap coming. When the ground disappeared she could only gasp as she felt her stomach dropping with the rest of her body. She wanted to scream but her breath was taken from her body when a hand gripped her wrist and held her dangling over the pit.

Startled blue eyes met apprehensive brown eyes. Bellamy's face betrayed the effort he was making to hold her in place. She wasn't too heavy and he was stronger than most, but the fall had been so sudden he hadn't had time to adjust his body properly. He saw her leaving his line of vision and immediately dropped to the floor after her. He held her wrist tightly, not meaning to hurt her but bent on touching her and making sure she was still there.

"Pull her up!" Finn was saying and Clarke felt other hands grabbing her and returning her to solid ground.

Bellamy grabbed her waist to help her stand and kept her pulled against him.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah." She breathed. "You saved me."

"Always, Princess."

Murphy cleared his throat in annoyance.

"When you two are done being sweet, we have a dying kid to cut down."

Bellamy remembered the other three and released Clarke.

"Spacewalker cut him down. Go with him, Murphy." He commanded.

From beside him Clarke made a sound of confusion.

"There's a poultice on his wound."

"Medicine? Why would they save his life just to string him up as bait?" Wells asked.

"Maybe what they're trying to catch likes its dinner to be breathing." Bellamy replied.

"Maybe what they're trying to catch is us." Finn said, sending shivers through the group.

As Finn and Murphy worked on cutting Jasper down, Clarke had walked cautiously around the pit where she'd fallen, examining the handiwork.

"That was too close, Clarke." Bellamy came up behind her.

"I know. I stomped in like an idiot and just earlier I was lecturing Octavia about it and here I go and do the same. Bellamy, this was planned, thought out."

"It's a trap, but I don't know what the end goal is. We wouldn't have all fallen into the pit."

"There has to be more to it."

A growl came from the trees and the couple turned towards the sound. Murphy and Finn stopped what they were doing to look over and Wells backed up nervously to where the others were.

"What is it?" Clarke asked.

Bellamy watched the hulking shape in the distance and cursed when a gigantic panther hurtled towards them, its intention clear. It wanted blood.

"Stay behind me." Bellamy told her before taking a gun out from the folds of his jacket.

As the wild animal primed to jump at them he aimed at its head and neck. A barrage of bullets rang out and the animal fell, dead, to the ground mere inches from where Wells stood.

"Bellamy." Her voice was indecipherable.

He faced her and saw the suspicion in her eyes.

"Later." he said, turning back to the animal carcass, feeling icy lasers on his back.

* * *

That night the camp feasted on wild panther. As Bellamy and his men roasted the animal and cut out pieces to feed the 100, Clarke leaned over Jasper, cleaning his wounds, applying seaweed paste and checking his feverish temperature. Octavia had come in a few times to check on her friend, accompanied by the guy who must have been Atom. She begged Jasper to pull through and asked Clarke if she could help with anything.

"You need to eat something and get some rest, Octavia. I'll worry about Jasper."

"I don't want to be useless here."

"You won't be." She considered it. "Meet me here as soon as you wake up tomorrow. You can help me change the bandages and cleanse the wounds."

"I'll be here bright and early." She promised, giving Jasper one last look before exiting the drop ship.

Clarke checked on her unconscious patient one last time before leaving the medical bay and approaching the campfire. Murphy was handing out sticks of roasted meat and she reached out to take one but was stopped by Murphy.

"Wrist out."

"Excuse me?"

"I need to see your wrist and ensure the bracelet is off."

"Back off, Murphy."

"Boss' orders."

The only boss he could be referring to was Bellamy. But, why would he want the 100 to remove their bracelets? Clarke was unsure what was happening. First, she discovered Bellamy had a gun and that he knew full well how to use one. Now, she couldn't eat unless she removed her last connection to the Ark? How would they be saved if the Ark thought them all dead?

"I'll take two of these, thanks." Finn appeared, grabbing two sticks and walking away.

"Hey!"

"What's the problem?"

"You have bracelets on." Murphy was reaching into his pocket to take out a blade.

"I thought there were no rules. Whatever the hell we want and all that jazz?"

Murphy glowered but didn't oppose him again. Finn gestured for her to follow him to a seat by the fire. She sat, bewildered, and took her portion from him.

"What was that about?"

"You don't know?"

"If I did, would I be asking?"

"Touché."

"Finn."

"Your boyfriend made a grand speech earlier about escaping the chains of the Ark for good by taking off the bracelets that control us. He rallied the crowed and promised them a policy of no rules. 'Whatever the hell we want' to be exact."

"Bellamy, what have you done?" she murmured to herself. "Where is he?" she asked Finn.

"In his tent, I assume."

"Which one is that?"

"The biggest one in camp." He pointed.

Clarke finished her dinner and out the stick to one side.

"Anything else I need to know?"

"Yeah. You shouldn't be with that guy."

"Finn." She sighed.

"No, listen. I can take care of you just like he can but I'll treat you like a true princess, not just use a little nickname and call it a day."

"Finn, you don't know him. More importantly, you don't know _me_. You want me because of my blonde hair and nice boobs or because I'm the camp doctor and I'm worth something down here. If you want validation, you won't get it from me. Bellamy and I are together and we've been together since the Ark. I love him. That won't change." She stood and made her way to his tent, leaving Finn staring after her.

* * *

Bellamy was lying on his blankets staring at the top of his tent. He didn't feel proud of what he'd done. He had used his power to manipulate the 100 into removing most of their bracelets for a decent meal and created a chaotic environment with no rules. He didn't mean to lord over everyone, but he believed disconnecting from the Ark was crucial.

He hadn't forgotten what they'd done to Octavia and Clarke and he especially hadn't forgotten what he'd had to do to get on that drop ship. Bellamy never thought he'd be a killer but here he was with Chancellor Jaha's blood on his hands. He kept telling himself it was a necessary evil but there was no way to excuse murder.

If Clarke found out, she'd hate him and probably leave him for the damn spacewalker. She had stopped talking to her best friend after he betrayed her and got her father floated. She wouldn't hesitate to leave him if she found out the true darkness inside him. Clarke was a princess, not because she was spoiled or pampered, but because she had a light and grace with her, a beauty that had more to do with her soul than her body. Bellamy was broken inside, hiding behind good looks and strength to cover what he'd done.

He hadn't wanted any of this, but when he found out about the secret mission to Earth and which prisoners were sentenced to go, he knew he'd do whatever it took to get on that ship. He couldn't lose his sister and he couldn't lose the only girl he'd fallen in love with.

"Bellamy, we need to talk."

Bellamy sat up as the girl in question entered his tent, her features serious.

"Did you have dinner, Princess?"

"Funny thing about dinner. Murphy told me there was a strict edict in place." She pushed her sleeve up to show him the bracelet on her wrist.

Bellamy's eyes shut. He should have known Clarke wouldn't bend to those rules, not when she had her mother on board the Ark and an innate belief that she could save humanity.

"I'll go get you a piece."

"Don't bother, I already ate."

Bellamy stood to his full height, towering over her purposely. Clarke took a step back but he followed her to a corner of his tent.

"And how exactly did you do that without taking off the bracelet?"

Her eyes hardened.

"I can do _whatever the hell I want_, isn't that right, Bellamy?"

His words hit him straight in the face.

"Clarke-

"What's wrong with you, Bellamy? Has the power really gone to your head so fast? You want the Ark to die but you're sentencing our deaths with theirs. I know you hate the council and blame them for everything, I get that I do, but this isn't right. There are innocent people up there that need to know they have another chance at life down here. My mother's up there. You know that."

"Clarke, you and Octavia are my priorities. I put your well-being above all else."

"You would sacrifice thousands of lives because you think I'll be safer?"

Bellamy swallowed but didn't back down.

"Yes."

"You're insane." She turned away from him, but he pulled her back.

"I would sacrifice millions of lives for you or for your Octavia. If that makes me a monster, so be it. I don't owe them anything. You are my life, Clarke. I love you and I want you above all else. This is what I think is right."

Clarke wanted to yell at him, accuse him of being heartless and evil, but she knew she couldn't. Bellamy didn't mean to hurt others, it just came as collateral damage for his actual aims: taking care of her and Octavia.

"It isn't right, though, Bell." She said quietly.

"If I told you that the second the Ark touched down on Earth, they'd put a bullet in my head without question, would you still want them to come?"

She blinked.

"What?"

"You heard me." He leaned in so his breath fanned her face, pulling her so close they were sharing oxygen.

"What did you do, Bellamy?"

"I shot Chancellor Jaha. I shot him to get on the drop ship."

Clarke's blood went cold.

"D-did you kill him?"

Bellamy looked at his hands.

"I don't know."

Clarke didn't know if she should scream or cry. She didn't know what do next. Clarke had always been a truthful person so she spoke the only truth she knew.

"I love you more than anyone or anything I've ever loved before. If you died, I-I" she paused to take a deep breath. "I can't even consider that. You shot Chancellor Jaha. If he's dead, you have to live with that. We all make mistakes we're forced to live with. I won't remove my last connection to my mother, but… I can't judge you for your actions because you did what you did for me and for Octavia. If the Ark does come to Earth, I promise you I'll do everything in my power to save you. If that time comes and I fail, then I also promise you I'll fight by your side. I won't let them kill you, Bellamy, but I won't let you kill them." She finished.

There was a deep silence between them before he broke it.

"Thank you."

"Are you angry with me?"

"I don't have the right to be angry with you, Clarke. You're following your beliefs and acting on your principles the same way I do. I won't impede, but there will come a time where you will realize the Ark will do more harm than good."

"Maybe, Bell, but right now they aren't here. We have other concerns."

"I know. Clarke, I know you try to see the best in me and I'm sorry you have to look so hard to get a glimpse of something worthwhile." He moved to lay back on his bed, needing some space from their conversation.

"Don't say that, Bellamy."

He felt her weight on his makeshift bed and then her warmth was pressed into his side. She placed her head on his left shoulder and touched his cheek to turn him to face her.

"I love you because of everything you are. That darkness you're always fighting? I'm fighting it too. Nothing is as simple as black and white. I understand that there are grey areas and I hope you don't think less of me because of that."

"I love you the same, Clarke."

"Good. That's how I feel about you."

"You're amazing, Princess."

"So are you, Bell. Don't doubt yourself so much. Things will work out in the end."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

He stroked her tangled locks and kissed her deeply until she was gasping for breath.

"Can I stay here tonight?" she asked.

"Where else would you be staying?"

"I figured this was your lone wolf leader tent where your harem of girls spent their nights."

"Why would I need a harem of meaningless girls when I have you, love?"

"You have this annoying quality where you always say the sweetest things and make me forget to be pissed at you."

He laughed.

"I'm well aware."

"Is this really my tent?"

"If you want it to be. I won't force you to stay with me. There are other tents available, if you like sharing with strangers."

"Yep, that's me. I love sleeping with random people."

"I know."

She slapped his chest and he laughed again, wrapping his arms around her and tangling their legs together so they were both comfortably resting against the blankets and each other.

"This is nice." She murmured. "When I was first confined I had nightmares every time I closed my eyes. It was usually of my father and his floating, but sometimes I saw my mom or Wells dying. Then, there was this one recurring dream where I was floating through space and I didn't know where I was going but it felt peaceful, you know? Then, out of nowhere this explosion would happen and it was like the universe was burning. I could feel smoke choking me and I wheezed and gasped for air but nothing came. Then, I fell. I fell through darkness and I was burning. I was dying and no one could save me."

Bellamy watched the pained emotions flickering across her face.

"That would never happen, Clarke. You aren't alone anymore."

"I know. I haven't had that dream since I met you." She smiled up at him.

"I'm glad. I don't want you to feel that way ever again."

"I love you, Bell."

"I love you too, Princess. Go to sleep. We have a long day tomorrow."

She muttered something else but it was muffled as she was half-asleep and pressed into his chest. He stroked her hair as her breathing evened out and followed her into slumber.


	4. Chapter 4

**I don't really like how this part turned out, but I'll let you guys decide. It was a long one! I love this story and Bellarke has a special place in my heart.**

**Part IV.**

Clarke woke up to anguished moans. She was groggy and on the verge of a headache because she knew she wouldn't be seeing a bed again for a very long time. The injuries on Earth piled up and as the only doctor on the planet, her work was demanding.

"Who is making all that noise?" Bellamy growled, his voice rustling her hair.

"Jasper. He must be conscious now. Something's wrong." She moved to get up but Bellamy's arms tightened around her.

"Don't leave. You're so warm." He said, his voice sleep-hazed.

Clarke had to remind herself she was in charge of people's lives and could not cuddle with her sexy boyfriend all day. She wiggled out of his grasp and pulled her boots on before tying her hair up.

"It's not even dawn." He grumbled and she gave a small laugh.

"Not a morning person, o mighty rebel leader?"

"My eyes are closed, but I can see the grin on your face, Princess. Knock it off."

"I'll see you around later."

"I'll check on you when the sun actually comes out."

Clarke saw him succumb to sleep again and quietly exited their tent.

* * *

Three hours later, Clarke was wiping sweat from her brow and blood from her hands as she worked over Jasper's twisting body.

"Hold him still! I have to cauterize the wound. The infection is spreading into his bloodstream and preventing the seaweed paste from cleansing the affected area."

Finn, Wells, and Monty grabbed arms and legs as Clarke placed her knife over a small fire, watching the metal come alive. She began cutting away pieces of Jasper's broken skin, keeping her mind blank to focus. Monty was choking on saliva as he watched his best friend scream and Finn was watching her with pity like he didn't believe she could save Jasper. Wells was saying something, but it was cut off by the whirlwind that was Octavia Blake.

"You're killing him!" she screeched, kneeling at Jasper's head.

"She's trying to save his life." Wells corrected.

"She can't."

Clarke's fingers froze at the recognition of the deep voice. She checked to see that the wound had been properly closed and placed the knife to the side in a deadly calm.

"What did you say?" Clarke whirled to face him, stepping as close as she could against Bellamy's hard chest.

The contact was no longer romantic, but confrontational and they both felt the difference.

"Look at him. He's a lost cause. If you can't see that you're deluded." His voice was low but insistent.

"Now I'm crazy and a shitty healer?" her words were acerbic.

"No, Clarke. There's nothing you can do for him at this point. All he does is set the camp on edge with his howling."

"Sorry if Jasper's pain is such an inconvenience to you and your groupies, but I am not giving up on him."

"Princess, you're wasting your time."

"Clarke." Octavia whispered and the older girl turned to see Jasper had fallen out of consciousness again.

His pale face was drawn in discomfort, but he had stopped crying out.

"Octavia, I've spent my whole life watching my mother heal people. If I say there's hope, there's hope." Clarke tried to speak confidently.

"This isn't about hope. It's about guts. You don't have the guts to make the hard decisions. I do. If he isn't up and walking in three days, I'll kill him myself." Bellamy declared, exiting the drop ship without looking back.

If he did he knew he'd see four pairs of accusing eyes and worse, Clarke's disappointed azure gaze.

"Self-serving, power-hungry bastard. He doesn't care about anyone but himself." Finn said.

The group glanced at Clarke, who bit her lip to silence any noise that threatened to escape.

"No offense." Monty added weakly, looking at Octavia and Clarke.

Octavia didn't react, keeping her attention on Jasper, but Clarke couldn't stay there anymore.

"Wells, I need you to come with me."

He approached her tentatively as if he expected her to lash out at him or strike him.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

"To save Jasper's life." She jumped fluidly down the hatch using two rungs of the ladder and entered the sunlit camp.

"How? I hate to say this, but I think Bellamy's right."

"No, he isn't." she contradicted firmly. "Bellamy isn't thinking past the end of the week. He reasons that having Jasper around will upset the camp, therefore creating a motive to test his leadership. I have to see what he can't in the big picture. Life is precious down here. There are less than 100 of us left. We can't lose more people. Jasper is our friend and he has things to live for. He is _not_ a lost cause."

Wells gave a brief nod.

"Okay, Clarke. What do we have to do?"

"Monty mentioned a mandrake root that grows near the center of the woods, a few miles left of the lake Octavia was wounded in. If we can find it, I can make it into a powder to be taken with water. According to Monty, the root thins and clears the bloodstream. The injury remains infected despite the seaweed treatment. If I can't clean it for good, Jasper won't make it another day, let alone_ three_." She spat out.

"How will we find it?"

"I brought a map. Let's hope Cartography Skills taught us enough to do this."

Wells chuckled and Clarke couldn't help but smile back. The truth was she had missed Wells. She hadn't forgotten or forgiven what he'd done but there were few allies available to her and Wells cared about her for reasons more profound than her pleasant appearance or suddenly irreplaceable medical skills.

"I have two knives in my pack. The blades are freshly sharpened. No root should be a problem." He said.

"Good. If we leave now, we can be back by mid-afternoon. If there are any small cuts or bruises Monty and Octavia can wrap them and apply the seaweed paste. We can pick more of that up too."

"Have you considered teaching first aid skills? If anything happened to you…" he trailed off.

"I have considered it, but at the moment I have to establish a prevalent medical center and make sure I know what I'm doing before including any others. As soon as I'm ready, I want to teach Octavia and Monty as much as I can. They seem dedicated and responsible enough to become my nurses."

"Do you mind if I lead?"

She shook her head and handed Wells the map. He began walking and she followed, securing the straps of her pack at her side. She was just leaving the final tent area when she saw him. More importantly when he saw her.

"Clarke!" Bellamy called.

She didn't acknowledge him and continued walking until she and Wells were out of sight. Bellamy called her name twice more but she was already gone.

* * *

"Damn it." He said under his breath as Clarke strolled out of the camp heading who the hell knew where.

He would have run after her but he was organizing the hunting party and gathering food as soon as possible was a priority. The panther had gone quickly and apart from twigs and leaves, there was nothing to eat. He'd have to wait to talk to Clarke later, not that it would be an enjoyable conversation. She was pissed at him and he couldn't back down because being the leader mean making choices others shies away from. He didn't have that luxury and Clarke had to understand that.

He turned back to the task at hand and frowned when he saw one of his men was absent.

"Miller, where's Atom?"

"I haven't seen him since last night. Isn't he watching your sister?"

Bellamy didn't respond. He saw Octavia exit the drop ship and look around before slipping behind the tree line.

"Gather the weapons. I'll be back."

The others nodded and Bellamy followed his sister. He walked slowly, taking care to stay hidden as Octavia made it to a small clearing where luminescent butterflies were flitting around. Octavia stood at the center and giggled. Bellamy gave a small smile, seeing her so carefree. Earth had its wonders and Octavia deserved to enjoy its beauties. Bellamy was about to turn back and give her the privacy to enjoy the clearing when a male voice called to her.

"I can't stay long, Octavia. Your brother has me on the hunting party."

"And you always do what he says, right? Someone as hot as you shouldn't be Bellamy's bitch."

"I'm nobody's bitch." Atom declared, stepping closer to her.

She laughed and jumped into him, their lips meeting easily. Bellamy realized this wasn't the first time they'd kissed. Atom had been in charge of keeping Octavia safe and instead he'd chosen to sneak around with her and lie to Bellamy's face.

Bellamy turned away from the scene, walking determinedly back to camp. No one would disobey him and laugh about it behind his back.

* * *

"We should be a quarter mile off." Wells announced, giving Clarke a proud smile.

"Congrats, we aren't dead." She said offhandedly, watching the waning light filter through the trees sadly.

"Clarke?"

She sighed.

"I don't want to talk about it. Not with you anyway."

"I have something I need to talk to you about and I need you to listen." His tone had grown with urgency and she looked up, alarmed at the change.

Before Wells could open his mouth to speak he spotted a slinking cloud of pale green smoke moving towards them. Thunder sounded, adding a splash of brightness to the fog.

"What is that?"

She turned and scrutinized the fog.

"I've never heard of that before." She knelt to pick up a small rock and flung it at the fog.

The two watched in horror as the rock seemed to sizzle and melt.

"We need to move." Clarke hissed.

"Camp is back that way and Grounders are up that way."

"Then we find something else." She grabbed his arm and ran away from the fog, whose speed seemed to have increased though that could have been in Clarke's mind.

As they ran, Clarke's thoughts went to Bellamy. It was a common train of thought for her, but at that moment she was only reminded of their fight and the way she'd flounced from camp ignoring his calls. If she died, that would be the last memory they had of each other. Bellamy would be worried sick and knowing him, he'd blame himself and his guilt would overpower him.

"No. No. I will see him again." She told herself, panting from exertion.

They had been sprinting for more than a mile and the acidic fog hadn't slowed. Clarke was beginning to lose all hope when Wells made a noise of exclamation.

"There!"

"Oh my God." She breathed, spotting the buried car.

Wells reached it first and kicked dirt out of the way, using all his strength to pull the door open. He lowered Clarke in and followed her, slamming the door after her. They were both breathing heavily but the fog's deadly whistle was clear as it passed over them, sending wisps of its poison through.

Clarke pushed herself deep into the backseat of the automobile. Wells watched her from across the space. It was dim lighting in the car, but the sun was still somewhere above them. Clarke prayed she'd get to see it soon.

"I almost died." She said out loud.

Wells didn't know what to respond, didn't even know if she was talking to him. Clarke swallowed and took a deep, meditative breath.

"What were you going to say before?"

"What?"

"Don't screw around, Wells. What did you need to tell me before?"

"Clarke, it can wait. I-

"Tell me _now_."

"Why?" he sighed.

"We've left many things unsaid. You got my father killed, I got Confined, you tried to see me once and I clawed your eyes out. I haven't forgotten our friendship. We grew up together, we planned futures together. You were my best friend, Wells."

"And you're still mine."

"I wish I could say the same."

"All I did, I did for you."

Her eyes narrowed dangerously.

"You betrayed my trust and got my father killed… for me? You are a sick creep."

"No! You don't understand!" he said desperately.

"Oh, so why don't you explain how your cathartic benevolence made you run to your Daddy and get my father floated to help my life?" her sarcasm was venomous.

"I didn't tell my father!" his voice boomed and Clarke fell back against the car seat.

"What?"

Wells dark features hardened.

"I wanted to protect you, Clarke. I defied my father and burned the Eden Tree to get myself Confined and sent to Earth. I didn't want you to be alone down here. When I say I've done everything for you, I mean it. I… I was in love with you, Clarke, for a long time. Longer than I care to share." He gave a bitter laugh. "I know you don't feel the same and that's not why I'm telling you. I wouldn't get in the way of your happiness and if Bellamy makes you happy, who am I to judge? I'm content with regaining our friendship. I can't bear it if you hate me. You're all I have here. They all see me as the chancellor's privileged son and they hate me for it deep down, even though I've never been responsible for his actions or beliefs. But I don't care about that, not really. I care what you think of me and that's why I can't lie to you anymore."

Clarke was rigid in her seat, processing his words one at a time and waiting on edge for whatever came next.

"I didn't tell my father about your dad's plan to expose the council's lies. He found out because someone else told him."

"Who?" her voice cracked on the single syllable and Wells' eyes reflected his turmoil.

"Clarke-

"No more lies, Wells. Promise me."

"I promise… The chancellor was informed by his most trusted advisor. Dr. Abby Griffin. Your-your mother told him."

* * *

Atom was struggling to break free of Bellamy's iron grip, but the others in the hunting party refused to help him. They were fiercely loyal to their leader and they believed Atom was in the wrong. It was common knowledge that Octavia was off limits. Yeah, she was hot but hot wasn't worth losing a finger or the ability to breathe.

"What gave you the right to touch her?" Bellamy snarled, increasing the pressure on the shorter boy's neck.

"She wanted me to." He managed to gasp.

"Not good enough." Bellamy released him only to knee him in the gut.

Atom sunk to the ground, clutching his midsection and wheezing.

"You were in charge of protecting her and you abused that power. You went against my commands, Atom. What do you think happens to those who betray me?"

"I didn't mean to." The kneeling boy pleaded.

Bellamy wasn't going to kill Atom. He was prepared to smack him around a bit and scare some sense into him, but that was it. He wouldn't allow himself to be a murderer. The title made his skin crawl. Clarke hadn't held his attack on the chancellor against him, but she had been right. He had to live with what he'd done and he carried that with him every day.

"Stay away from Octavia." Bellamy warned, delivering a final kick to Atom's stomach.

Atom groaned and fell back, barely moving.

"Let's go." He ordered and the remainder of the hunting party followed him deeper into the forest.

They had come upon a couple rabbits and a skinny squirrel, taking all three down easily but unenthusiastically. The group knew that wouldn't last more than a day, if at all.

"Keep looking." Bellamy urged.

Murphy took two of the other boys one way, while Bellamy and a younger Walden boy named Garett went the other way.

"Are we going back for Atom?" Garett asked and cringed when Bellamy glowered at him.

"Do you want to go back and join him?"

"No, sir."

"Then shut up. He can find his way back to camp on his own."

They hadn't gone more than ten steps when the thunder sounded. The sky became swallowed by a thick fog that burst forward.

"What is that?" Garett whimpered.

"We aren't staying to find out." Bellamy pushed the younger boy in front of him, pointing out the small mouth of a cave.

They rushed in but Bellamy felt a touch of the lethal cloud on his back and it had burned. He heard frightened sobs and saw that Garett was crying. In the gloomy light of the cave, Bellamy could see the boy's true age. He couldn't have been more than fourteen.

"Hey, we made it, all right? After this crap passes, we'll find camp again."

"I know." He hiccupped. "That's not it."

"Then what is it?"

"Atom." The boy whispered and Bellamy's blood went cold.

Atom. He had forgotten about the prone boy he'd left behind to save himself from something he'd never seen coming. Garett kept shaking but Bellamy was frozen. He'd done it again. He'd taken a life. He kept telling himself he wasn't a killer and intentionally he wasn't yet he had two names on his ledger.

The storm faded away as mysteriously as it came and by that time Garett had gone quiet.

"Go back to camp. Find Murphy and the others, make sure they get back to camp as well."

"What about you?"

Bellamy didn't answer, simply walked back into the forestry. He knew he was looking for a corpse or something close to it but Garett didn't need to know all of that.

* * *

Clarke had gone numb since Wells' reveal and for his part, Wells had let her be. They'd climbed out of the car after the storm and reached the mandrake roots before turning back for camp. And still Clarke was silent. Her face was closed off and though he'd known her for sixteen years, he couldn't say what she was thinking.

"Clarke, I'm sorry. For everything."

No response.

"Is there anything I can do or say to help you?"

"There's nothing left to say." Her voice was dry and lifeless. "What's done is done. I appreciate your honesty. More than that I-I can't accept it. It hurts too much."

"I'm sure Dr. Griffin thought she was doing the right thing. She didn't mean-

"Stop."

She had stopped walking and Wells was forced to halt beside her.

"I can't analyze her reasons right now. I don't want to know what was going through her mind when she betrayed her family and destroyed what I knew." She inhaled deeply. "I need to be alone right now."

"That's not safe. What if another fog happens?"

"Please." She murmured. "Please."

Wells saw her crystalline eyes mist over.

"Okay. I'll take the mandrake root and give it to Monty. Jasper will be on his feet by the time you get there."

"Thank you, Wells."

"No problem."

She surprised him with a tight embrace.

"Thank you for everything. You are the best friend I could ask for. I apologize for how I acted."

"You have nothing to apologize for, Clarke. I'll see you at camp."

"See you." She watched him until he was a dot in the distance and hugged her arms to her chest as she went a different way.

She walked slowly, blurs of images flashing through her mind. She knew the truth know but the facts remained the same. Her father was dead. She could never get him back. She had lost connection to her mother and now… she was glad of it. Her mother had betrayed her and lied to her face. That wasn't what mothers were supposed to do.

Clarke restrained her tears because though she was alone, she didn't want to allow her weakness to overtake her. She wished she could talk to Bellamy but he was probably back at camp cursing her while equally frantic about her whereabouts. She should have told him where she was going. He had been wrong to give up on Jasper but she had avoided him and given up on him that day. They were equal even in their errors.

"Kill me p-please." A weak voice rasped.

Clarke paused and tried to listen for the source of the voice. She stepped closer until she reached an opening in the forestry where she recognized two shapes, including the very person she'd been yearning to find. But not like this.

Bellamy knelt at Atom's battered body, holding a knife in one hand but staring at Atom with a despair and panic Clarke had never seen on his face before.

"Bellamy, k-kill m-me." He repeated but Bellamy couldn't move.

Clarke moved closer and Bellamy sensed her before he saw her. He looked at her and saw her features open and vulnerable like his. She knelt across from him and gulped as she saw the extent of Atom's injuries. She saw the peeling skin, raw and bleeding. She saw the wildly dilated pupils and the trembling of Atom's body. Clarke lifted her gaze to meet Bellamy's and shook her head with dejected finality.

Bellamy's face fell and his brown eyes became a muted mud color. Clarke saw regret and despair in those eyes and she knew something else had happened.

"Please." Atom begged again and Clarke took a deep breath.

Pushing away thoughts of her parents and the Ark, she moved closer to Atom's head.

"Okay, I'm going to help you." She smiled and put all the warmth and faith and love she had into it because she knew it would be the last thing he ever saw.

She began to hum a lullaby that had comforted her on one of her darkest nights back in her lonely jail cell. As she hummed she stroked Atom's hair and once she was sure he was as peaceful as possible, she took the knife out of Bellamy's hand and stuck it in Atom's throat.

She finished the lullaby and let the silence fall over them. She dropped the knife, laying back on a tree behind her. Bellamy spoke first.

"I remember."

She tilted her head up.

"I know."

* * *

_It was dinner time for the prisoners and Bellamy had been roped into distributing trays to all of Cell Block A and B. It was now after 10:00 and he still hadn't gotten to Clarke. She must have been starving and was probably angry as hell that he'd kept her waiting. When he finally got to her cell, he unlocked the door with one hand as he balanced the food tray in the other._

"_I tried to come earlier, Princess, but-_

_His voice broke off as he saw that Clarke was knocked out on the bed, her head hanging slightly over the edge. She looked exhausted even in sleep and he wondered why that was so. He got his answer when she began shaking._

"_No. No. Daddy! Please don't leave me!" she cried out, her beautiful features twisted in sorrow._

"_Clarke, wake up." _

_His voice had no effect on the trembling girl so he put the plate on the small table and knelt by her side. She was mumbling anxiously and fidgeting restlessly under the covers._

"_Please don't leave. I need you." She sobbed, her face becoming streaked with tears._

_Bellamy stroked her soft hair and began humming a lullaby he'd become familiar with as a child. His mother had hummed it when he was little and suffering from nightmares. In turn, he'd used it on Octavia, who as a young girl had cried out in her sleep. His mother had been terrified and he'd had to be the one to whisper soothing words to her through the floor and hum the special lullaby that would calm her, reassuring her she wasn't alone._

"_It's only a dream, Princess. You'll be okay." He whispered, continuing the lullaby until the final hummed note._

_She had stopped stirring and adjusted herself into a normal position on the bed. He stroked her golden locks one final time and got up to go. He was at the door when he turned back. Her face was no longer strained but peaceful. He was glad. Someone so lovely shouldn't suffer as much as she'd had to._

_He'd only known Clarke Griffin two weeks but he'd seen something in her he'd never even glimpsed in another girl. He wasn't sure what that was yet, but he knew even then that girl would be his whole world._

* * *

They ended up curled together in his tent that night, their breaths nearly synchronized.

He'd told her about Atom and Octavia and the culpability he felt for his death. He told her he was sorry for being so headstrong and stubborn and making her feel like a failure. In turn she apologized for leaving camp so childishly and running from him.

"When you found me I was so relieved. I knew with you there, everything would be okay. You granted Atom his final wish, something I couldn't do. Thank you."

"I can make the hard decisions with you, Bellamy. I saved Jasper because I knew I could, but when I see a lost cause, I know it."

"Am I a lost cause?"

The vulnerability in his voice was reserved only for their most private moments, those talks by moonlight with only the night breeze as an eavesdropper. In their tent, everything was revealed. Clarke touched his face and captured his eyes with her own.

"What you and I have doesn't allow for any losses. If you ever stray too far, I'll find you. Like you find me. You found me in the dark of my nightmares and brought me back with a lullaby. The first time you sang it for me, I was caught in a horrible illusion and you helped me see the light again."

"You are my light, Clarke."

"Thank you." She said and in the tenderness of the moment, she finally allowed herself to cry for innocence she'd lost and the lie she'd unknowingly been living.

With Bellamy, she allowed herself to cry for her father's death and her mother's sins. He let her cry and simply held her. When she was ready she told him what she'd learned and Bellamy didn't speak until she got it all out.

"I'm sorry, Princess. I'm so sorry."

"I felt so stupid, Bell. I punished my best friend and treated him so awfully and I went around here defending the Ark and my mother. I am such an idiot."

"You are an amazing human being, who believes in people even when they don't deserve it."

"My mother doesn't deserve it, Bellamy. Not after what she did." She bit her lip and pushed out of his grasp.

"What are you doing?" he asked as she walked determinedly to where he kept his weapons.

She took his longest blade and cut into the bracelet on her wrist, opening it roughly and throwing it to the ground. Bellamy had sat up but was too stunned to say anything.

"I don't believe in her anymore and now she can't believe in me." Clarke returned to their bed and pulled Bellamy back so she could get comfortable in his arms.

"Princess, that was a rash decision."

"It was bound to happen. We spend too much time together. You're rubbing off on me."

"Clarke, what if you change your mind?"

"Then I'll deal with it later. Tonight, I don't want to think about it. I'm emotionally drained and physically exhausted. All I want is to sleep. Well, that and one other thing…"

"And what's that?"

"Can you sing me a lullaby?"

"I can't sing."

"Hum one then?"

"Anything in specific?"

"No, I just like to hear your voice."

Her honesty made him smile and he gave her a sweet kiss before beginning to stroke her hair and humming an old lullaby about the sun's search for love and the partner he found in the moon. Bellamy couldn't help but think of the slumbering girl in his arms as the magnificent moon, cool and collected, the complement to Bellamy's burning intensity of sunlight. She illuminated the darkness for him and he helped brighten her days. The sappiness was not lost on him, but he didn't care about anyone else in that moment. Not with Clarke next to him.


	5. Chapter 5

**This episode was hard to twist, but I hope you all like it. Oh my god, wasn't episode 1x08 the best thing ever? My only fear is that episode 1x11 will hurt our ship because it's the one where Raven and Bellamy have sex and I hate to even imagine that. Raven has gotten on my nerves. She is no longer a strong character but a desperate one and I don't like how her desperation makes her act.**

**All I ask for is Bellarke and Octavia's happiness, be it with Jasper or Lincoln so she can have people who love her, like her brother, a love interest, and Clarke as a BFF.(wishful thinking all for me)**

**Part V.**

Xander Farrow had always been one of the elite. His family had been rich even on Earth, carrying this tradition to the Ark's social hierarchy. Both his parents had been council members at one point and his father still held the position. Xander, along with only three others, were Phoenix kids. Yet, he was the only one who acted as such. While Clarke and Wells were busy establishing order and safety, Xander was avoiding responsibilities and getting out of the camp's chores as much as possible.

That morning Xander had been assigned sentry duty at the opening of the camp. He had slept most of the time and when he finally woke up, it was an hour after dawn and the camps were still deathly silent. He shrugged, figuring the next sentry would come soon and left his post to take a piss in the woods. He had finished zipping up his trousers when he heard the twig snap.

Xander jumped and looked around, but no other sound came. The Phoenix boy decided to walk back to camp and laze about his tent. He had made it a few steps when he heard the heavy footsteps. In the time it took him to turn, he'd been thrown to the ground. The figure loomed over him brandishing a sharp blade.

"No! Someone hel-

Xander's scream was cut from his throat by the single slash of the blade and as he choked on the gushing blood, he heard the dark chuckle of his murderer.

"Two down. Two to go." The male voice rasped and slinked back into the forest as Xander choked on his final breath.

* * *

Clarke hated it when Bellamy was right.

She had gone one night before regretting taking off the wristband and disconnecting herself from the Ark, namely her mother.

"Would you be mad if I said I told you so?" Bellamy was smirking.

"Very."

"I told you so, Princess."

She rolled her eyes, picking the wristband off and examining the inside sensors and detectors, which were no longer functioning.

"This is why being impulsive is a destructive character trait." She stated.

"Why are you looking at me?"

"Forget it. I'm going to see if Monty can fix it."

"The kid's good with machines, but he can't do the impossible. We don't have the technology."

"Don't pretend to care. You and I both know that my wristband and Wells' are the most closely monitored. Wells gave it up for food and I took mine off willingly. The chances of the Ark coming down have been greatly diminished. Congratulations, you've won." She said bitterly.

Bellamy's eyes narrowed, trained angrily on her.

"Yeah, I don't want the Ark to find us and I don't want Jaha to kill me and if that makes me selfish, so be it. But, I didn't cause this. You removed that wristband to get back at your mom. Now you can deal with the consequences. And you don't get to blame me or yell at me for your decisions."

She flinched at his rough tone, but knew he was right. She sighed.

"I didn't mean that, okay? I don't feel proud of what I did and if Monty can't fix it then… this is on me."

Bellamy didn't say anything and she thought he was still angry with her, but he surprised her by coming up to her and pressing her into his chest. His warmth seeped into her body, feeding her with its strength. They had both made shitty decisions and chances were they'd make even more bad choices, but they would stay united no matter what.

Clarke thanked the heavens for Bellamy because where would she be without his support and unyielding desire to protect her? Similarly, Bellamy appreciated all that Clarke was. He did have a volatile nature and Clarke was his constant moral compass. What would he have done without her? The 100 would have become vicious anarchists and embraced the wild nature of the Earth.

"Everything will be okay. You told me that, remember?"

"What the hell do I know?"

Bellamy chuckled.

"Way to keep the faith, Clarke."

She gave him a playful glare and he leaned down to kiss her forehead comfortingly.

The calm of the moment was broken by running footsteps and the hasty appearance of both Octavia and Jasper. They were out of breath and their faces had fear written on them.

"Octavia, what's wrong?" Bellamy had moved forward to check on his sister but she waved him away.

"It's not me." She gasped, still flushed from the exertion. "They found two bodies."

"What?" Clarke asked, her features twisting in alarm.

"They were murdered. Had their throats slit." Jasper cut in.

"Where were they found?"

"A few miles from camp." Jasper answered.

"What were you doing outside camp?" Bellamy addressed his sister.

"I was showing Jasper the butterfly fields. I-I didn't want him holed up in his tent. He was scared of leaving camp."

"And I had valid reasons!" he exclaimed.

Bellamy ignored him.

"Who were they?"

"Xander and Sophia." Octavia responded.

"This all happened last night?"

She nodded.

"Monroe found them this morning after making the rounds around the wall. We heard her shouting and we saw… them."

"You shouldn't have." Bellamy reproached, hating the fact that his sister was not as sheltered as he'd wanted.

She was still exposed to death and betrayal and tragedy.

"That doesn't matter, Bell. I saw it and now I'm telling you we are all in trouble."

"There's a murderer in the camp." Jasper whispered, brown eyes wide and dazed.

"There's more than one murderer in this camp." Bellamy reminded them.

"Which makes finding the person responsible that much harder." Clarke said.

Bellamy turned to her.

"This has to be our priority. The camp knows about it now, we can't keep it hidden and resolve it ourselves. Panic won't do us any good. The wall isn't finished yet and now we have threats from inside as well as outside."

"I'll give this to Monty and then we need to see the bodies. Maybe there's some clue to who did this or why." Clarke responded and he nodded.

"Let's go. You two. Stay together and stay in the drop ship. I'm trusting you to watch over my sister, got that?" Bellamy got into Jasper's face, using the length of his body to tower menacingly over the younger boy, who could only squeak out a "Yes, sir."

* * *

After leaving her wristband with Monty, who promised to give all his attention to establishing a connection or signal to report back to the Ark, Clarke and Bellamy left the drop ship and observed the flurry of the camp. News had spread like wildfire, but that was to be expected in a group of teenagers.

People were muttering and eyeing each other suspiciously, splitting into groups of two or three and debating on the other groups. It had rapidly become a tense environment.

"We have to talk to them." Clarke told him.

"And say what exactly? Stay calm, everyone, there's a murderer going after you but we may or may not find him at some point?"

"The sarcasm is unnecessary, Bellamy."

They walked to stand in the opening of the camp wall, facing the crowd together.

"Listen up!" Bellamy bellowed, immediately quieting the fidgeting teenagers.

"As you are all aware, there have been two murders last night." Clarke began, pausing when whispers rang out again. "We have to work together to get justice for Sophia and Xander, but to do that we can't have infighting. I know nerves are frayed and everyone is on edge, but we need to go on."

"The wall needs to be completed and the daily functions of camp must be completed as usual. This is not an excuse to give up. Get to work." Bellamy ordered and the crowd dispersed, still mumbling under their breaths.

"If you ask me, the murderer did us a favor. Xander was a total dick." A girl said as she and her companion passed Clarke and Bellamy.

"Yeah, and Sophia wasn't a joy to have around, either. Rich bitches." The other girl agreed.

Clarke's brow furrowed as she contemplated the girls' conversation. When she gasped in apprehension, Bellamy touched her arm.

"What is it?"

"I can't talk here."

"Come on." He kept a gentle grip on her arm and walked to the location Monroe had reported the bodies.

It was not a pretty sight. Both Sophia and Xander had dried blood everywhere, from their mouths to their rumpled clothing.

"She struggled." Bellamy said.

"How do you know that?"

"She had bruises on her arms and face. He hit her _hard_ before getting her on the ground and cutting her throat open."

"_He_?" Clarke reiterated.

"No woman in camp has the physical strength to achieve this. Xander is a big guy. He was brought down by a lot of force. Sophia's wounds wouldn't come from a fight with a girl, even one with muscle."

"That makes sense."

"What did you figure out back there?"

Clarke surveyed the woods around them, feeling paranoid at the scene of the crime. She half-expected the killer to come after them next, but from what she'd learned, the murderer wouldn't be after Bellamy.

"He's targeting a specific group."

"Xander and Sophia weren't friends. Did they know each other on the Ark?"

"Not exactly."

"Tell me what you know, Clarke."

"They didn't know each other personally, but they were in the same social circles. Xander and Sophia were from Phoenix. They're privileged."

Understanding bloomed in his eyes.

"There were 4 delinquents condemned from the Phoenix class and sent to Earth. Xander, Sophia, Wells, and… me."

For several minutes there was only silence between them. Clarke didn't know what to say to change the dark expression on Bellamy's face. His fists had clenched and his shoulders were rigid as he stared at seemingly nothing.

"Bell?" her voice was tentative but he blinked and focused his gaze on her.

"You know that I won't let anything happen to you, right?" he grabbed her arms and she tilted her head to look him in the eyes.

"Of course."

"Okay."

"What are you going to do?"

"Whatever I have to."

* * *

When they returned to camp Bellamy ordered two boys to retrieve the bodies and bury them with the other deceased in a special area near camp. There had been five deaths in total, counting two kids who died from impact on landing, Atom, and now Sophia and Xander. It was so easy to lose a life and now their numbers were at 95. It was terrifying to know they were so alone.

"I have to warn Wells."

Bellamy would have argued that spreading their findings to anyone else was risky, but he could see the determined set of her delicate features and so he bit his tongue.

"Make sure it's only him. He should be on alert for his own safety, but you and I are the only ones who need that information to find the killer. It could be any male in this camp, Clarke, remember that. They have knives, they know how to use them, and they wouldn't hesitate to kill those they envy."

He gave her a grave look and she kissed his cheek reassuringly.

"I'm not worried. I have you."

His face softened for second, but when Miller called his name with questions about the wall's height, Bellamy's face was as hard and commanding as usual.

Clarke made her way to Wells' tent, acting nonchalantly but keeping a careful watch on the camp in the hopes of seeing anything out of place. Unfortunately, the murderer, whoever he was, was professional enough to act like nothing had happened. Yet, Clarke didn't doubt he was preparing for the last names on his list.

"Griffin? Didn't expect to see you here." Wells greeted her, peeling the skin from a strange fruit the hunters had found on their last trip.

"And why not, Jaha? You own this place or what?"

Wells broke into laughter and she followed after. Their friendship had returned almost instantly. She had no grudges against him for keeping her mother's involvement a secret because he thought he was helping Clarke. He was her best friend and she needed him. He was the only positive remain of her childhood and young adulthood. After that, her life went to hell until Bellamy found her in a jail cell.

"What's up?" he asked and she wished they could share another joke.

Laughter and smiles were rare on Earth. With this latest development, it was even harder to forget the bad and enjoy the good.

"You know about Xander and Sophia." It wasn't a question.

"Yes."

"They were from Phoenix."

"Xander's parents were manipulative council members and Sophia's mother slept with council members while her husband preyed on the financial insecurities of the poor."

"When you put it that way, it sounds like they deserved what they got."

Wells raised an eyebrow.

"That's what some people have been saying."

"Shit, I didn't think they'd be in agreement with cold blooded murder." Clarke said.

"They don't have the nerve to do it themselves, but if someone else is taking out the privileged, why not reap the benefits?"

"Which are?"

"An end to social divisions. The Walden and Arcadia classes haven't hated each other like they've hated the Phoenix class. If the top was removed, there would be no hierarchy."

"Or there'd be a new upper class." Clarke pointed out.

"They aren't thinking that far ahead. People are scared of this place and they want to follow Bellamy blindly but this murderer is reminding them of things they'd tried to forget. The humiliation and unfairness of the Ark. They blame us for that even if we had no choice in our births and statuses."

"You know we're next."

"I knew the second I heard it was Xander and Sophia."

"What are you going to do?"

"Sleep with one eye open. I was trained by the Ark's expert guard force as a boy. I can take care of myself."

"Wells, you can't expect to stay awake forever."

"What else can I do? The killer could be anyone in this camp. How do I take on what I can't see coming?"

Wells had made the same point Bellamy had. There was no way to know and the murderer was careful enough not to incriminate himself with evidence. Clarke felt a lump in her throat and she willed herself not to break down with frustration and tears. Her best friend was in danger and though she was too, she had something he didn't: Bellamy. Who would look after Wells when he was asleep or sick? He was strong and skilled, but that wouldn't be enough. He had said it himself.

"I won't allow any more murders." She declared. "Why don't you sleep in the drop ship? That way you won't be alone over here. Usually Monty and Jasper sleep on the upper level. They wouldn't mind your company."

"I'm not a child, Griffin. Besides, I have sentry duty tonight."

"Bellamy can assign someone else to-

"No. I don't want you to get me out of it. I need to pull my weight, Clarke, or else they're right about me and I'm just a privileged chancellor's son who lets others fight his battles." At her worried look he said, "I'll be _fine_, Clarke. Take care of yourself. You're at risk too and I don't want anything to hurt you."

She nodded, unsatisfied with his response, but acknowledging he was right in following routine procedures.

"If you need my help, you know where I am."

"Yeah, but I won't be stepping into you and Bellamy's tent anytime soon. Who knows what I'd walk in on." He made a disgusted face and she laughed, shoving him.

* * *

It was late or extremely early, if you saw if that way, and Wells was suppressing a yawn. Sentry duty was the worst. No one slept more than seven hours anyway and the days were long and laborious so that those seven hours meant the world. Wells had been hard at work all day assisting in building the wall and he was exhausted. Still, as he'd told Clarke, he couldn't forgo his assigned post. That was a show of weakness and down here weakness equated to death.

He was doing the rounds of the exterior wall and only a few feet from the entrance to camp when he felt someone watching him. He whirled to the trees behind him and began backpedaling until he reached the camp. He stopped there and looked out at the blackness of the woods. Nothing.

"I'm losing my mind. Thanks for the added delusions, Griffin." He muttered, moving to lean against the wall behind him.

He was so busy convincing himself everything was fine, he missed the figure that darted through the trees until it came up behind him, hands stretched out to grab his neck and throw him to the ground. Wells couldn't cry out for help, could only gasp for the breath being stolen from his body.  
-

Clarke couldn't sleep. When she closed her eyes she was being strangled by invisible hands. Her dreams told her to stay awake and she couldn't help but oblige. She had tried counting sheep and regulating her breaths, but nothing was working. Exhaling in annoyance, she rolled over onto her side, where Bellamy lay sleeping. She got lost in his long eyelashes and the freckles dotting his cheeks. She reached out to stroke his messy curls and almost screamed when a hand gripped hers in midair, holding her centimeters from Bellamy's face.

"What do you think you're doing, Princess?" his voice was a low growl that she felt touch every part of her body.

"I couldn't sleep." She almost stammered.

Bellamy's dark eyes opened and he lowered her hand to his lips, kissing around her palm and each finger individually, making his way to the sensitive skin of her wrist. She sighed in pleasure and he stopped, his lips still on her wrist.

"Ready to sleep now?"

"Teasing me isn't making me sleepier, it's making me… the opposite of that." Clarke glared and Bellamy chuckled, releasing her wrist and pulling her closer to begin kissing down her neck.

"Then we won't sleep tonight."

Clarke was getting lost in his kisses and touches. As his lips attacked her neck and collar bone, his hands moved from her waist to her chest, massaging her breasts through her shirt. She moaned and ran her hands down the planes of his back, digging her nails in when his mouth sucked a sweet spot on the side of her neck. He had moved his body to frame hers so that his legs had hers trapped and his hard chest rubbed against her softer curves.

She and Bellamy hadn't consummated their relationship yet. On the Ark, their relationship was in a premature stage and they were always in jeopardy of being heard and caught by another guard or the commander. They'd only been on Earth about a week and between organizing the 100 and finding supplies to keep them all alive, having sex was not a priority. Though Clarke was forgetting about responsibilities and murderers as Bellamy's body moved deliciously against hers. In another minute, she'd forget her own name.

Bellamy's hands were underneath her shirt and she had already taken off his when she heard a strangled gasp from outside.

"Wait." She said, pulling her lips away from Bellamy's.

He was panting as hard as she was but he stopped moving when she spoke. He would never pressure her into sex. He wasn't a virgin like she was and he was a male in his early twenties so sex seemed like everything at times, but he knew better. Clarke was the woman he loved and he wouldn't do anything until she was ready.

"We don't have to finish this tonight." He told her but she wasn't listening to him anymore.

She was straining to hear any sounds from outside. The gasp had come from the area near the camp entrance where the sentry should have been. Bellamy and Clarke's tent was near the center of camp so they were the closest to the entrance from a distance.

"Wells." She said and Bellamy moved all the way off her, his lips tight.

"Excuse me?"

"He's guarding the wall and I thought I heard somebody outside. We need to make sure he's okay. The killer is going to go after him. I tried to tell him, but he didn't want to give up the duty and look weak."

Bellamy, after realizing his girlfriend was not thinking of another man while they were on the verge of having sex, went into leader mode.

"Bring a weapon and whatever you do, stay behind me. Do not put yourself in danger, Clarke, do you understand me? He may be your friend but I won't put you at risk carelessly."

"I won't do anything stupid. Let's just go!"

They each grabbed a knife and with Bellamy leading the way, they walked slowly to the opening of camp.

"Wells!" she screamed seeing her friend choking on the floor.

Bellamy rushed forward, tackling the figure and punching him violently in the face. The figure had a knife poised over Wells' neck, but Clarke's scream had confused him and with Bellamy there he had no chance.

"Are you okay?" she asked Wells, helping him get to his feet.

"Y-yes. M-m-murphy. K-killer."

Clarke turned to confirm that it was John Murphy, Bellamy's second in command, whose face was being bloodied brutally at Bellamy's large fists.

"Bellamy, stop!" Clarke cried and something snapped in him at the sound of her voice.

He released Murphy with a thump against the ground and whirled on her, his eyes blazing.

"He deserves to die!"

"No! We don't decide who lives and dies. Not down here."

"This bastard was going after you next, Clarke! He would have tried to slit your throat in your sleep and he would have taken you away from me!" his voice raised and she saw he intended to beat Murphy again so she grabbed his face in her hands.

"Please, Bell, listen to me. I refuse to have his blood on your hands. You don't deserve to have that on your conscience. He will pay for his sins, but if we kill him, how are we any different from him or the council members who decide the lives of others? We are not God."

"Clarke, when I look at him I want to break his face."

"I know, but you won't have to. We won't kill him, but we will banish him."

Bellamy considered this and though a primal instinct inside him begged to be free to kill Murphy, Clarke's halo of golden hair and those intensely blue eyes held him back. He removed her hands from his face and turned back to Murphy, who only stared up at him out of one eye, the other one bruised and swollen.

"If I see you again, I will not hesitate to kill you."

Murphy stood shakily and backed away into the woods, but not before uttering his final words.

"You think I'm the only one who wanted this? Your little princess won't make it much longer and neither will the wannabe chancellor of Earth. Will it be worth losing your title, Almighty Leader, when someone else tries to finish what I started?"

Bellamy lunged forward at the taunt, but Clarke grabbed ahold of his arm.

"Don't listen to him. Let it go. We have other things to worry about." She murmured insistently and after Murphy disappeared, Clarke pulled him to face the camp.

The commotion had woken the others and at the front of the crowd stood Octavia, Jasper, Monty, and Finn.

"It was Murphy." Finn said.

"He won't show his face again unless he wants me to break it." Bellamy hissed.

The crowd parted as Bellamy walked towards them with Clarke at his side. Wells hobbled along behind them, leaning on Finn to make the walk easier.

"For his crimes, John Murphy has been banished from this camp." Clarke declared.

"If anyone tries to take justice into their hands, in a twisted belief that they are judge and jury down here, we will not hesitate to exile you from camp and the only means of survival on Earth. How well do you think you'll do out there with Grounders and acid fog and sea creatures that can swallow you whole?" Bellamy asked rhetorically. "Does anybody have a problem with any of that?"

The silence held finality. Bellamy did not show mercy often and those who hurt his loved ones were dead to him. Murphy had been lucky Clarke was as kind as she was.

The crowd slowly dispersed as the kids returned to their tents, the looming threat of murder removed. Bellamy assigned three of his more trusted followers to guard the wall until the next day when the gate would be finished and the camp would be fully protected from the outside. Clarke helped Finn to lead Wells to the medical bay where he would stay for the night.

"Would you do me the favor of staying with him?" she asked Finn.

"Sure."

"Thank you."

"Griffin." Wells called her back.

"Yes, Jaha?"

"You saved my life. Thank you."

"It wasn't just me."

"I am well aware of what Bellamy did for me… Tell him I owe him one."

She smiled.

"I will. Take care of yourself, Jaha."

"You do the same, Griffin. Sweet dreams."

She left the drop ship with a weight lifted off her shoulders. Wells was safe and she and Bellamy had addressed the camp as partners. Bellamy respected her opinion and he had done what she asked, letting Murphy live.

When she returned to their tent, Bellamy was already under the covers so she slipped her shoes off and curled up against him. He adjusted his body so her head was laid comfortably against his chest and began stroking her hair.

"Wells owes you his life."

"It was because of you, Clarke. All the good is because of you."

"Is that self-deprecation I hear?"

He sighed.

"I would have killed him. You know that."

"Yes."

"And?"

"And nothing. You would have killed him, but I told you not to and you didn't. End of story."

"Clarke-

"Stop right there. You do all you do to protect me and Octavia because that's who you are. A good man. A loving man. I have no doubts or regrets when it comes to you. Did Murphy deserve to die? Maybe. But you are not the one to carry that sentence out. You are not a killer like he is. You are better than that."

"You really believe that?"

"I wouldn't be with you if I didn't."

"What would I do without you, Princess?"

"Struggle?"

He poked her in the side and she laughed.

"I was thinking earlier about my life without you. Earth would be miserable for me. Happiness is rare here and for so many of the 100, there is really none. They have freedom but no one to share it with. I have you and I am so thankful."

"I could survive on Earth by myself or with Octavia but I wouldn't be the person you know. I'd become Murphy. Driven by my inner demons, I'd become a monster. Octavia would hate me but I wouldn't care. I'd be too far gone. You're what I need, Clarke. Always and forever."

"Bellamy… earlier I think we were interrupted in the middle of something important." She said slowly.

Bellamy's lips curved in amusement.

"Were we?"

"Don't be a tease. No one likes that." She frowned but he kissed it away in one passionate motion.

"I love you, Clarke Griffin."

He had resumed their earlier position and she stared up at him, her hands locked around his broad back.

"I love you, Bellamy Blake. I'm glad you're going to be my first."

"Just wait until our second time. That's when the experimenting can start."

"Shut up and kiss me." She laughed.

Bellamy obliged her and for the remainder of the night, there were no thoughts of survival or murder or anything that wasn't the heat of the moment and the movement of their intertwined bodies.


	6. Chapter 6

**Okay, a few things I have to say.  
One, I am not that good of a lemon writer, so any future sex scenes will be… PG-13ish lol. Two, about episode 1x11, based off of cast interviews it is assumed Bellamy and Raven will sleep together and have some sort of thing. I'm not saying it's definitely going to happen, but both Lyndsey Morgan and Thomas McDonnell have hinted at it.  
Finally, to the reviewer who asked for more flashbacks, do not worry sweetie, I have more coming; plus, I cheated and put long ones in this chapter.  
Warning: there is a lot of fluff in this chapter! ;) Enjoy!**

**Part VI.**

Clarke was an early riser and though Bellamy never took more than an hour or two at the most after she did, those hours of silence granted Clarke a strange tranquility. Once the camp awoke, it was a flurry of bubbling emotions and rising conflicts. The second Bellamy and Clarke walked out of their tent they were flooded with complaints, problems, and in Clarke's case, injuries.

For those reasons, Clarke enjoyed lingering in the faint chirping of birds outside camp and the ever-present scent of mist and pine. She lay on her back, staring at the ceiling of her tent and musing over silly things, like what she'd do if the 100 could plant cocoa beans and harvest chocolate. As Clarke pondered all the recipes she could make with a luxury like chocolate, Bellamy shifted in his sleep, rolling onto his side to face her.

Clarke's attention was diverted to the naked man beside her and she smiled when Bellamy instinctively reached out for her, his body sensing her proximity and pulling her closer. She allowed their legs to tangle together and kept her arms between them so she could observe his sculpted features. It seemed a bit surreal to her, this relationship with Bellamy.

It wasn't just because the Earth landing had put so many obstacles in their path and constantly tested them both physically and mentally. It had more to do with how'd they met and the people they were forced to be on the Ark.

Clarke and Bellamy were not meant to be by any traditional standards. She was a privileged Phoenix girl who would have followed in her mother's footsteps as a respected doctor on the council who married a chief engineer or chancellor. Bellamy was born to be nothing to the Ark. He was from Walden and neither of his parents had a worthwhile reputation. He had also been charged with a secret as dangerous as another child and though he adored Octavia, raising her had been difficult.

He became a cadet in the hopes of becoming a half-hearted guard with just enough pay to keep Octavia hidden indefinitely. Clarke's parents forged her path, like Bellamy's his and when her father was floated, Clarke chose to continue his plight and ended up in solitary confinement. At the time she hadn't known, but it was because of her mother. Still, as horrible as it had been to lose her father and her freedom, Clarke couldn't hate the past because it led her to Bellamy.

When he showed up in her cell instead of Commander Quincy or his ruthless protégée, Captain Shumway, Clarke was caught off guard. He was initially quiet but once she spoke, his true character was revealed. He wasn't like the other guardsmen. He wasn't like anyone she'd ever met in the sheltered Phoenix wing of the Ark.

Clarke could pinpoint the moment her feelings for Bellamy became unavoidable.

* * *

_Dr. Abby Griffin was entitled to visit her daughter once a month, usually for a brief checkup but that day she'd come in serious and on a mission._

"_Clarke, you have to accept the charges."_

_Her head snapped up, defiance radiating from her expression._

"_I did not commit treason. And neither did Dad. We did the right thing and the people we trusted turned against us."_

_Dr. Griffin's eyes almost revealed the resonant guilt her daughter was still ignorant of._

"_Honey, please, your trial is in two months. It will not end in a pardon unless you accede to the council's wishes."_

"_What wises? As far as I know, the council wants me to die."_

"_No! Chancellor Jaha and I have talked at length to them and convinced them you were not responsible for your actions. You were simply grieving."_

_Clarke's blue eyes narrowed and burned an icy laser across the small room. _

"_You want me to renounce Dad's cause and lie to stay on the council's __**good side**__?"_

"_Clarke-_

"_Get out, Mom."_

"_Clarke, please! Accept the charges, say you never meant to oppose the council and you can get out of this place. You can have your old life back!"_

"_What life?! Some falsified joke, an illusion constructed by the council, the people who killed Dad? You want me to accept that I was a traitor acting out of repressed grief and bow down to Jaha and Kane and those other manipulators? Well, I won't. __**Never**__. I'll take my death sentence, thank you."_

"_You can't do this." The tears in her mother's voice were palpable._

"_I won't change my mind and I assume you won't either. It's best if you leave." She turned her back and Dr. Griffin shook her head sadly at her daughter's dismissal of her._

"_I-I'll be back in a few weeks for your check-up."_

"_Okay."_

_When no further response came, Dr. Griffin sighed and left the room._

_Only when Clarke was sure her mother was gone did she curl into herself on her bed and let her own tears cascade down her face. That was how Bellamy found her some time later when he entered with her lunch tray._

"_Hungry, Princess?" he shot her his trademark grin, which quickly faded once he saw her huddled against the bed. "Clarke, what's wrong?"_

"_Everything." She whispered, her words muffled by her hands._

_Bellamy put the tray aside and stood before Clarke, reaching out to touch one of her arms._

"_Clarke." Her name was a soothing murmur from his lips and though she wanted nothing more than the warmth of human contact and someone to share her troubles with, she wasn't done being angry._

"_Don't pretend to care about me, __**Blake**__." She hissed._

_Bellamy, startled by her tone and the heavy glare she'd fixed him with, stepped back unconsciously. Clarke followed him, standing before him with her blue eyes shadowed and her fair skin flushed. _

"_You don't know me! What, you think because you read my criminal file we're best friends forever?" she scoffed. "I have no friends anymore. No family to count on. I have no one." Her voice cracked. "The people I loved are gone." She wasn't looking at Bellamy anymore, but at a distant point in space. "My father, executed. My only friend, responsible for my father's death. My mother, forcing me to change who I am. She told me to plead to the council and beg for a pardoning. But, I won't give up my father's cause. He was not a traitor and neither am I, even if some days that's all I feel like."_

_She sighed, running a hand over her face, surprised to feel that her tears had not stopped flowing. She had almost forgotten Bellamy was the one she'd been shouting her life story at, but when he gripped her arms in an almost painful grip, Clarke blinked and stared up at him._

_Bellamy's face was a mixture of anger, sorrow, compassion, and tenderness. He began stroking her back with one hand, keeping the other on her arm, like a tether to the present for which Clarke was thankful._

"_My father was floated when I was six."_

_Clarke regarded him with confusion, not expecting him to share his own life with her._

"_He stole more rations than we were allowed. A guard found out. Dad was dead the next morning. I didn't know it yet, but his sacrifice had been for the birth of his child."_

_Here Clarke was blatantly puzzled because if Bellamy was six, there was no birth of a child. Unless…_

"_My mother was pregnant again. With a girl. My sister, Octavia."_

_Bellamy's eyes didn't leave hers and he watched her slowly absorb the information._

"_My little sister is now my life and I'm responsible for my mother's decisions every day." He paused and let his hand rest on Clarke's shoulder. "There."_

"_What?" she asked in a quiet voice._

"_Now we know each other. And let me tell you, Princess, your past doesn't make me see you any differently. You are who you are, but that is not a traitor or a liar. You are a beautiful artist and a sharp mind and an honest speaker. That's more than enough. And if people don't appreciate that, they're insane. The council is made up of old pricks and hags. Forget them."_

"_It would be easier if they didn't control my fate."_

"_I can't refute that. It is what it is, Princess. Life's a bitch, right? We're the ones who have to accept it and move on."_

_She let out a short laugh._

"_I haven't quite accepted my impending doom yet, but I'll work on it." _

_She made light of the subject, but Bellamy could see by the tightness in her shoulders and the fear in her eyes that she wasn't prepared for her 18__th__ birthday and the trial that came with it._

"_We can figure something out."_

_Her blue eyes widened._

"_We?"_

"_Yes, we." He grinned. "I'm in if you're in, Princess."_

"_Bellamy… you have enough on your plate. You can't add my burdens to yours."_

"_You are not a burden to me. I know it's hard for you to believe that people care for you and don't ask for anything in return, but all I want to do is help you."_

"_Even if helping me gets you killed?"_

"_I live for the adventure." He winked and she laughed again._

_There were still tearstains on her cheeks and melancholia in her soul, but with Bellamy around her heart beat faster and her pulse slammed against her skin as if calling out for his touch. She leaned into him, resting her head on his broad chest and let him hold her like that._

"_Thank you, Bell."_

_The nickname surprised him for a second because only Octavia called him that, but the way it fell from her lips like melting honey made it feel different._

"_You're welcome, Princess."_

* * *

"I think I'll start charging a fee for all the deep stares at my body."

Clarke shook the memory away, realizing her boyfriend was awake and smirking at her. She registered his comment and smacked his shoulder.

"I wasn't staring at your body. I was thinking about something while coincidentally looking in the direction of your face."

"Ah, my face. The true moneymaker."

Clarke giggled at his egocentrism and Bellamy planted a sweet kiss on her nose.

"What were you thinking about?"

"Um, nothing." She fibbed because she felt enough like a love-struck teenager to admit it out loud to the guy himself.

"Oh, I definitely believe you." He said sarcastically and she rolled her eyes.

"Can't I keep something to myself and keep the mystery alive?"

He shot her a skeptical look.

"I hate to break it to you, Princess, but I know you better than anyone else and maybe yourself. I don't need any mystery."

"If you know me so well you don't need me to tell you what I was thinking about." She said mockingly.

"If you don't tell me, I'll assume you were thinking of my sexual prowess because let's face it last night was the best night of your life."

Though she wanted to hit him for his arrogance, she couldn't disagree because it really had been. Bellamy chuckled at her silence and she blushed.

"I wasn't thinking about last night."

"Sure you weren't." he winked.

"Bell." She sighed. "Fine, I was thinking about the first time I realized I was falling in love with you."

He turned to her, interest clear in his brown eyes.

"When?"

She recounted the memory and he nodded.

"I remember that day. I was pissed that the council had tried to use you as some symbol of their absolute power."

"When did you know?" she asked, more curious than she wanted to divulge.

"The first day I met you I thought you were so different from every other girl on that damn ship, but I knew I loved you the day you painted the stars."

* * *

_Bellamy had gone home to find his mother and sister arguing, their voices on the edge of shouts, though both were careful to mediate the volume even in their ire._

"_Don't be an ungrateful brat, Octavia! I did it for you and your brother like I always do!"_

"_Oh yeah? Cause you were moaning like you were having a good time with that filthy old man and completely unaware of anything else. I was right there! How could you do that? You're a whore, you know." Octavia spat and her mother didn't hesitate to slap her across the face._

_Octavia cried out, more stunned than pained, and held her cheek as she stared at her mother in awe._

"_You need to learn to have respect for your mother. I give you everything you need and I keep you alive!"_

"_I'm just a burden to you! You don't love me and you certainly don't care about me. If I died, you'd be better off. Then you could run off with Lieutenant Higgs."_

_Bellamy saw his mother raise her hand again and rushed forward to grab it and impede the second slap._

"_Bite your tongue!"_

"_Stop it, both of you! Lower your voices and calm down. What happened?" Bellamy asked and Octavia, stepping back to glare at her mother, was the one who answered._

"_We had a surprise guest. Lieutenant Higgs dropped by to __**talk**__ with Mom. Of course, you didn't just talk, did you? No, you rolled around with him in the bedroom for hours and I had to listen to all of it!"_

_Bellamy felt bile rise in his throat. It was no secret that his mother carried a profitable affair with Lieutenant Higgs, but she had never brought him back to the apartment. She had never slept with him in the bed she'd once shared with her husband. The mental image was nauseating him, so he assumed Octavia was mentally scarred after hearing it firsthand._

"_I didn't mean for it to happen! I tried to get him to leave, to meet him in his quarters later but he got suspicious and told me he would search every nook and cranny to find my secrets. He would have found you and we would all be dead!" their mother pleaded for understanding or sympathy but neither of her children gave it._

_Octavia was unforgiving when she was upset and though Bellamy knew his mother had done what she'd thought was right, he felt too disgusted to listen anymore._

"_I have work early in the morning. I'd like to get to bed." He winced at the thought of what had happened in the only bed of the apartment. _

_That night he slept on a pillow and blanket on the floor near Octavia's hiding spot. He could hear his mother crying herself to sleep, but he didn't know what to say to make anything better so he pretended he didn't hear._

_The next morning, he was showered, dressed, and out of the apartment before his mother could stir. His duties began at 7 sharp so he was an hour and half early to the guard station, but he didn't care. He was assigned to the mess hall to help another cadet with preparing the inmate's breakfasts and by 7 he was on his way to Clarke's cell. _

_It had been a couple of days since she'd told him what really happened to land her in solitary confinement and when he revealed his own secrets. He trusted Clarke and he hadn't known her longer than a month. He had questioned his sanity once or twice but deep down he knew Clarke was special and deserving of his trust and much more. He knocked once to alert her to his entrance and walked in, shutting the door behind her._

_He shouldn't have bothered because Clarke was so immersed in her task she didn't even look up to acknowledge him. Bellamy felt his mouth open in amazement at what Clarke had created._

_Every inch of the stone floor had been covered by color. _

_She had painted the endless expanse of space, dotted with stars, planets, and floating rocks. Clarke had been storing her paints and pastels for some time now and the previous night the idea had come into head, plaguing her until her fingers transmitted the images into reality. She had stayed up all night, canvassing the floor in blues, blacks, and purples, mixing paint with pastel to create an incredibly realistic piece._

_She took a deep breath as she finished the last stroke of a grand sun in one corner of the room and stood, gathering the stubby pastels and bent paintbrush and putting them to one side. _

"_I did it." She said, astonished at the entire work._

_She giggled in delight at her creation and walked in a straight line, her boots following the path of the solar system until she reached a dwarf planet and then made her way to an asteroid. She jumped from the burning rock to the moon and then to a particularly bright star. She spun in place, golden tresses following her graceful movements and all the while Bellamy watched her._

_He had never seen anything more beautiful than Clarke. Circumstances in her life had made her into a hardened girl who acted like a world-wearied adult but in reality she was only 17, still a child by legality and she deserved joy in her life. In that moment of unrestrained emotion, Bellamy had never wanted anything more in his life. He wanted Clarke's light, her energy, her regality. He wanted her to share her soul with his. He wanted to love her, but more than that he wanted her to love him._

_He left her breakfast on the usual table and backed silently out of the room. Clarke only noticed later that Bellamy had in fact been there when she saw the food. She smiled at the tray and sat down to eat it on the moon, her legs stretched out to follow the paths of moondust and sunlight converging at the planet Earth._

* * *

"You were so proud of that painting. I didn't want to interrupt you." He admitted.

"I didn't know that. You fell in love with me because I can draw rocks. Awesome." She joked.

"You think you're so cute, don't you?"

"Obviously."

He rolled his eyes good-naturedly and leaned in to kiss her, pushing against her lips until they opened and he could swallow her gasp with his tongue.

"Clarke, I need your help with-whoa!"

Bellamy and Clarke jumped apart at Octavia's entrance. The younger Blake was grinning mischievously and making no move to turn away.

"Well, well. You two finally did it. See, I knew I was the only one not getting any on Earth. Half the camp's had sex, it figures the leaders would get around to it."

Clarke blushed and was suddenly very aware that she was naked and Bellamy was naked and his little sister was mere feet away.

"Uh, can you come back later?"

"Nope." Octavia responded and Clarke glared.

"O, what do you want?" Bellamy asked.

"I don't know where the bandages are and Wells is bleeding through the ones he had last night. You don't have to get up, Clarke, just tell me where they are and you can get back to business." She winked and Clarke hated how similar Octavia was to her brother.

"No, I'm going. I have to check on some other kids and make sure Wells doesn't have any infection in those cuts on his abdomen."

"Damn it, O." Bellamy grumbled.

"Sorry the fun can't continue, Bell, but may I remind you that you both have tasks to attend to? Miller wanted to ask you about today's hunt and some punk's refusing to help build the wall."

"Fine. Now get the hell out."

"Because you asked so nicely." She glowered but left the tent.

Clarke let the sheets fall around her as she began to dress herself and prepare for the day, but she stopped when she saw Bellamy with his arms folded behind his head watching her.

"Why aren't you getting ready?"

"Because you're distracting me."

She pulled her pants and shirt on and turned back to him.

"Better?"

"Not really. I have a photographic memory. I just keep picturing you without clothes."

"Bellamy." She laughed. "Get dressed."

"As you command, Princess." He took his time slipping out from the covers and began stretching his tired muscles and limbs.

Clarke's gaze was drawn to the pull of his defined abdominal muscles and his strong arms, as well as another… important asset of his body.

"Distracted, Clarke?" he jeered.

She blushed and turned away from the temptation of his bare skin.

"I assume you'll be hunting for the day and I have patients all day so I'll see you tonight." She said as she left the tent, ignoring the deep chuckles that followed her exit.

* * *

The day had passed uneventfully but Clarke was thankful for the monotony. It beat a Grounder attack or murder spree.

Wells' cuts had begun to heal without infection and none of the 100 had received any injury more severe than a bruise or small burn. When she was sure she'd done all her rounds she went up to the second level of the drop ship to see Monty. The boy had designed a small area to perform experiments with plants or work on side projects like using Clarke's wristband to contact the Ark.

"Hey, Monty. How's everything going?"

"Terrible. Clarke, I screwed everything up!" the younger boy was biting back tears of frustration.

"What happened?"

"I tried to send an electromagnetic pulse as a transmission to the Ark's main system, but I used the wrong wave transmitter and I destroyed all transmissions from the Ark!"

"Wait, what does that mean?" Clarke questioned.

"Monty!" a harsh growl came from the ladder and Finn stormed into the area, his usually playful eyes wild and two shades darker. "I know it was you! What did you do, huh?! What did you do?!"

"Finn, stop it!" Clarke stepped between the boys.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Monty whimpered.

"Someone needs to tell me what happened!" Clarke said in exasperation.

"Why don't I show you instead?" Finn was trembling with a multitude of emotions and held out his bare wrist.

"I don't-wait. Where's your wristband?"

Finn held out his other hand, where the metal lay open and deactivated.

"All the wristbands in camp were fried. We're all dead to the Ark now."

Clarke's heart seemed to stop. She felt cold all over.

"I'm sorry, Clarke. I'm sorry." Monty was sobbing.

"You should be. You've screwed us all!" Finn snarled but before he could come any closer, Clarke pushed him back.

"Stop. He didn't mean to do this. I was the one who asked him to send the transmission without considering any consequences. This is on me."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" he was glaring at her but her expression was as unyielding as his.

"Frankly, your feelings are not my prime concern. Monty will continue to work on this. Until then, we continue as we did before. We aren't dead, Finn, even if the Ark believes it. We have to go on."

"You don't give a damn about the people on the Ark anymore, is that it? Your boyfriend tells you to jump and you ask how high. Is that it?"

Clarke slapped him across the face.

"Be careful what you say to me. I don't need Bellamy to handle my affairs and I'm perfectly capable of making my own decisions and picking my own fights. I have not forgotten about the people of the Ark, but the people of Earth, these 100 or what remains of them, is what I have to focus on."

Finn's lips were drawn into a tight line, but he didn't speak again. He stomped down the ladder and out of the drop ship. Clarke faced Monty, who had stopped sobbing but was still shaking with guilt.

"Don't think about what happened just try to fix the wristbands and establish a connection. It will be okay, Monty. I promise."

The younger boy nodded but moved to sit by his slumbering best friend, seeking comfort in any way he could. Jasper had been recovering amazingly but he still slept more than the average person, which was normal after the ordeal he'd survived. He would be back to normal in a day or so.

"I've always loved the fall. Of course, I never experienced it before but I read about it on the Ark. Leaves change color and the wind makes them dance. There were big harvests of crops and a period of growth and surplus. It was remarkable." Monty was talking and Clarke wondered if it was to her or himself. "It's starting to get colder even though winter isn't for another three months. Fall has just begun, but the cold is growing."

Clarke didn't want to interrupt his babbles because Monty was attempting to compartmentalize his guilt with anything he could, but something he'd said had caught her attention.

"When did fall begin, Monty?"

"Today. September 23rd."

"How could you know that?"

"I've kept track of the date since we were sent down. I wanted to record the seasons like they were in the texts I studied. It's autumn now, the natural following to the September equinox."

"Oh my God." Clarke breathed.

She turned away from Monty, descending the ladder and moving like a ghost towards the exit. She almost missed her name being called but it was hard to ignore a voice as persistent as Octavia's.

"Clarke!" she grabbed the older girl's shoulder. "What's happening? Finn said we were disconnected from the Ark and you look like Satan offered you the wrong deal."

"The-the wristbands were deactivated, but that's not… I don't care."

"Then what is it?"

"It's September 23rd."

"Is that date important?"

"It's my birthday. I- I didn't think I'd make it to my 18th birthday. But, here I am."

Octavia gathered why the blonde was so shaken. Under different circumstances, Clarke would be marching to her death.

"Yeah, here you are. You made it. The council couldn't kill your spirit and they definitely can't kill you. You survived. Congrats." She embraced her and Clarke wrapped her own arms around the younger girl, thankful she understood what she was feeling.

"This is ridiculous. I should be ecstatic about my birthday, right?"

"You are sort of being a downer." Octavia replied and Clarke had to laugh.

"I don't know how to celebrate, though. My parents would throw me a party and invite all their colleagues and friends, but I always hated that. I wanted a private thing just me and them and Wells. Whatever. No one except you knows and I think it's better to leave it at that."

"You can't do that! You're eighteen now! Legal and regal, bitches!"

Clarke found a smile forming and she had to thank the heavens for bringing both Bellamy and Octavia Blake into her life.

"Bellamy doesn't know?" Octavia asked.

"I didn't even know until a minute ago when Monty told me the date."

"Hmm." She tapped a finger to her chin and when she found some answer to an unspoken question, her turquoise eyes lit up. "Take the rest of the day off."

"I can't do that. What if someone needs me help?"

"I can handle the small injuries and if anything major happens, I'll get you but until then you are free to go."

"Octavia-

"I said free to go." She began shooing her out of the drop ship, ignoring the other girl's protests.

"What can I even do? I'll be bored out of my mind."

Octavia grinned.

"No, you won't. Follow me." She tugged Clarke's hand and pulled her behind her out of the medical bay and out of the camp.

* * *

Clarke had to admit that Octavia was right. She couldn't be bored when surrounded by such beauty.

Octavia had shown her the secluded luminescent butterfly fields she'd discovered and pointed out a calm stream flowing nearby where clean water could be drunk or used to freshen up.

"I promise that sea snake won't get you." Octavia had said before Clarke could ask.

The younger Blake had left some hours before and Clarke was left to follow the butterflies around and lounge near the stream, dipping her feet in and then leaning her head back to wet her long hair.

The sun was fading and Clarke knew she should be making her way back to camp but the darkness brought new sights and sounds. The butterflies gleamed in the background as the moon rose overhead to guide their paths. Bird songs joined in euphony and as Clarke lay on her back, watching nature thrive around her, she was excited to be alive.

"Great, I've lost another one to the butterflies. I should have known light-up butterflies would get a girl excited."

Clarke would recognize his voice anywhere and she sat up to regard him as he leaned against a tree and smiled at her.

"How did you find me?" she thought about it and then answered her own question. "Octavia."

"My sister told me she gave you the day off as a little gift. She told me it was your birthday."

"It snuck up on me, really. When Monty told me the date, I didn't know what to do. Then, Octavia showed me this place and I knew. I have to enjoy it. I think I've earned it."

"I'd say so." He approached her with one hand behind his back.

"What do you have there?"

"Observant as always, Princess. It's my gift to you. It's not much, but I thought it would suit you."

Bellamy held out his right hand and she saw a perfectly crafted bracelet made from smooth wood. Her name was carved at the center along with stars and a moon and sun. The letters of her name were shadowed in what appeared to be ink and a light blue dye had been used to bring out the other carvings.

"There was a small store of ink on the drop ship that came with the maps. The gathering group found bushels with berries and Octavia helped me create a dye. It's not much, but-

"I love it." She interrupted and held out her wrist.

Bellamy smiled down at her and placed the bracelet on her right wrist, the place her wristband had once occupied.

"Happy birthday, Clarke." He whispered.

She buried her head in his chest as his arms enveloped her smaller frame.

"I would usually be blowing birthday candles by now, but that tradition of wishing for something you don't have is stupid and besides, I don't need anything else. I'm happy."

"I love you, Clarke."

"I love you too." She said and their lips met under the tentative light of the moon.

They made love on the grass as butterflies floated in the field around them and Bellamy had been right again because the second time was even better than the first time for Clarke. They lay on the grass afterwards, content to watch the stars and hold each other while. Bellamy had brought a fur blanket with him so the night air didn't bother them.

Clarke's eyes began to close and she felt Bellamy's breaths evening out, but for a second before she gave in to the pull of sleep, she thought she saw a shooting star overhead. A flash of light exploding from space and entering the Earth's magnetic field.

As Clarke and Bellamy slept, a girl in an unauthorized Ark pod screamed as she plummeted to the ground and landed roughly, knocking her head against the center console, rendering her unconscious.

Raven Reyes had arrived and with her the only connection to the Ark.


	7. Chapter 7

**Thank you for all the reviews, my loyal readers! This story is being followed by almost 150 users. I am amazed. Thank you all for giving my AU story a shot and liking it :)**

**Part VII.**

Clarke awoke with a smile, for once not beginning to fret over the day's events.

"Morning, Princess." Bellamy whispered, kissing her collarbone and moving to the nape of her neck.

She sighed in content and interwove her hand with Bellamy's, his long fingers covering hers completely.

"How does it feel to be eighteen?"

"It feels like freedom." She mused. "I wasn't supposed to make it this far… but I did. And so did you." Her blue eyes met his amber gaze.

"I'm here because of you, Clarke. Before you, I was led by obligation. I loved my sister but all I knew was my responsibility for her life. I had never been happy living on the verge of discovery and execution, but meeting you changed everything."

She smiled and kissed him sweetly on the lips.

"You're always honest with me. The teen magazines on the Ark told me guys were unpredictable infidels." She giggled.

"Who says I'm not? I could be hiding mistresses from you or maybe a wife on the Ark."

"No, you wouldn't lie to me." She said simply.

"I couldn't if I tried." He answered frankly.

"Good."

She stared up at the cerulean sky, tracing the shapes in the clouds.

"Wait. What is that?" she voiced, sitting up and squinting to follow faint grey wisps serving as a trail through the sky.

Bellamy followed her stare and frowned.

"It looks like fuel exhaust, but that's impossible unless a ship or jet was flying above us and we didn't notice it."

"We were preoccupied last night. What if we missed a message from the Ark?"

"The Ark thinks we're all dead. Octavia told me Monty fried the wristbands. Why would the council waste resources on 100 deceased delinquents?"

"Maybe the council wouldn't, but someone else might."

"Who?"

"I don't know. But, we need to find out. Come on." Clarke hurried into her clothes and was adjusting her boots while Bellamy frowned at her.

"Can't we just be left alone to engage in some morning sex?" he grumbled and Clarke threw his clothes at his face.

"Is sex all you think about?"

"It's what I wish was all I thought about. Damn responsibilities."

Clarke bit her lip to hide her smile.

"It's leading westward. At least we won't head into Grounder territory or unknown areas. We've scouted that region before."

"That doesn't mean we can take anything for granted. Stay alert." He reminded her and she nodded, pushing the way through the trees.

* * *

Raven's awakening was far less pleasant than Clarke's. She hazily lifted her head from its place on the dashboard and touched shaky hands to her forehead when she felt liquid oozing down her face. Blood stained her fingertips on the way down.

"Fuck." She declared, taking note of the pod's conditions.

It wouldn't be making any more voyages; that was certain. The controls were jammed and the levers broken. Smoke rose from the tailpipe and both the fuel meters and propel tank meter read empty. There was one other thing she had to check. The radio.

"Where'd you go, you little bastard?" she cursed, searching the area around her seat for the radio and making a noise of victory when she spotted it.

Victory that was short-lived when she saw the state of the radio. It had been crushed under the storage crates Dr. Griffin had packed in the pod. Raven tried turning it on but didn't even hear static drifting through its speakers.

The teenage mechanic closed her eyes in disappointment. She had failed Dr. Griffin and gotten herself stranded in the middle of nowhere. The Ark thought the 100 dead and though Dr. Griffin and Raven steadfastly rejected this belief, it was possible no one was left. If that were so, what would Raven do alone on Earth? Panic was beginning to set in and Raven wanted to cry out for Finn, but knew that was both pathetic and pointless.

She unbuckled her seatbelt and stared at the broken radio.

"I'm sorry, Abby. I guess I wasn't meant to do this." She muttered.

From her peripheral vision, Raven saw figures breaking through the rows of trees and her head snapped up. They were certainly human figures. A tall guy and a blonde girl. They approached her pod with increasing speed and Raven tensed. Should she trust these strangers? Did they know where Finn was?

"Hey! We'll get you out of there!" the blonde shouted and turned to her companion who nodded and grabbed the damaged door, pulling with an impressive amount of strength until it fell to the ground.

"Are you all right?" the guy asked with narrowed brown eyes.

Raven blinked and gave a slow nod of assent.

"Did I really make it?" she asked.

"Yes." The blonde said, shooting her a bright smile. "Welcome to Earth."

* * *

Introductions had been made easily after Raven was helped out of the ruined pod.

"Griffin, huh? Your mom's pretty badass. I wouldn't have gotten here without here." Raven said, assuming the news would make Clarke happy.

Instead, her azure eyes clouded over and Bellamy gently took her hand, squeezing it to bring her back to reality.

"I'm glad you did, Raven." She replied with sincerity.

Raven sensed underlying tension there but let it go for the moment.

"I brought some supplies. It's a shitty collection, really, but I was short on time. Kane and Jaha were on my ass the entire time. The only reason I got off the Ark was because of Abby. She created some sort of distraction to buy me the minutes I needed."

"Jaha's alive?" Bellamy asked in a hoarse whisper.

"Dr. Griffin is the best for a reason. The bullet missed his internal organs by a fraction. He was lucky."

Raven watched Clarke and Bellamy exchange a significant look and she felt frustrated. What was all the secrecy and angst with these two? Raven studied Bellamy's face carefully and then gasped.

"I knew you were familiar! You're Bellamy Blake. You shot Jaha to get on the drop ship!"

"Yeah, and?" he was defensive.

"He isn't my favorite person, either, so you can tone it down a notch." She glared and Clarke moved between the two.

"Council members aren't liked down here. At all. We've created order down here with careful precision, but any orders from the Ark will not be appreciated." She explained.

"I'm not here on council orders. I'm here for me. To get my family back."

"Who did you come to find?" Clarke asked.

"My boyfriend. Finn Collins."

Bellamy snorted and Clarke shot him a dark look. Raven was tired of being out of the loop.

"Okay, what is it now? You act like a freaking married couple and I'm sorry but I've been traveling for hours, my head is gushing blood, I'm exhausted and this thing you two have is annoying me. Are you a couple or what?"

Bellamy and Clarke blushed.

"Yes." She cleared her throat, feeling awkward and Raven laughed at them.

"Finally, some straight answers. You're more than that, aren't you? Who leads the camp?"

"We do." Bellamy answered gruffly, still wary of the near stranger.

"I see." She grinned. "It's cute, actually. She's the princess, you're the rebel. I think I've seen that movie before."

Clarke resisted the urge to flush again. Raven was as blunt and assertive as Octavia, if not more and her personality took getting used to.

"We have important matters to deal with. First, I need you to put pressure on that head wound so you don't pass out from blood loss." Clarke searched her jacket pocket for the spare strips of gauze she'd left there from bandaging Wells the previous day. "Now, what supplies did you bring? Food? Canteens? A decent medical kit or tent kit?"

"Yeah, when I say time was sparse, I mean it. I've got several large tents to construct and a few first aid kits, but the standard ones. Bandages, some gauze, a few needles and suture packs maybe. No medicine or antiseptics. Oh, and medical scalpels and skin-compatible stitches."

Clarke's face broke out into a wide smile and she faced Bellamy with excitement.

"That's more than we had yesterday."

Raven watched as the tough rebel leader's lips quirked at his girlfriend's enthusiasm. He seemed to truly love her. Raven's heart ached at the thought of her own love. Finn was all she had and God she'd missed him.

"Hate to cut this short, but there is a pressing matter I forgot to mention."

"How pressing?" Bellamy asked skeptically.

"It involves the death of more than 300 people on the Ark."

"What?" Clarke breathed, her eyes wide.

"I should have reported back to Abby the second I arrived but with the crash landing and what happened to the radio… I should have strapped it to me beforehand or placed it somewhere safe. If those people die, it's on me. 320 lives will be lost… because of me."

"Raven, it's not your fault." Clarke touched the trembling girl's shoulder. "You said it yourself; it was a crash landing. You busted your head open to get here and you've helped us already. Now, it's our turn to help you."

* * *

The walk to camp had been a quiet one as the trio's minds ran in different directions. Bellamy, carrying the crates of supplies, was caught between relief that he hadn't ended a man's life and regret that he hadn't removed the threat to his and his loved one's lives. The council and Jaha would come after him and they wouldn't hesitate to use Octavia and Clarke to get to him. They were already squandering innocent lives to save oxygen; they wouldn't hesitate to rid themselves of delinquents.

Clarke was absentmindedly rubbing the bracelet Bellamy had given her, conflicting emotions raging inside her as well. She hadn't forgiven her mother, but Dr. Griffin had certainly not given up on her daughter. She had prepared Raven for the trip and sent as many supplies as she could. She hadn't cared about the broken transmission; she still believed Clarke was alive. Clarke felt guilty for trying to hurt her mother even though she had been responsible for the death of her father and Clarke's imprisonment.

On top of that, this recent development of a lottery of disposable lives was horrible. Were conditions on the Ark already at that point? Jake Griffin had predicted this chaos but he had estimated another year. Then again, his research had been cut short with his execution so who knew the truth anymore? The council, probably, but they wouldn't share it with anyone else. Clarke realized she blamed the council for everything and for many years her mother had been an integral part of that council. There was no right way to look at it.

Raven was thinking solely of Finn, as selfish as that sounded amidst the upcoming tragedy. It had been many months since she'd seen the only person she considered her family. He had been Confined for five months before the Earth mission and when she got word of the council's plan, it was too late. She had dedicated countless hours and all her technical knowledge to work with Dr. Griffin and safeguard a way to Earth to be with Finn again. Raven had grown up on her own and created a defense mechanism of biting words and swinging fists to protect her, but Finn had gotten through to her somehow. He was her soul mate. Her best friend. He was everything.

Clarke and Bellamy had each briefly thought of Finn, but it didn't hold the same importance to either of them. Finn had flirted with Clarke and tried to pursue a relationship, but Clarke had never wavered in the love she held for Bellamy. It was sad that he had tried anything when he had a girlfriend on the Ark, especially when that girlfriend was Raven, who was incredibly quick-witted and committed to her tasks. Clarke would never tell the girl about Finn's attempts with her, not because she owed it to him but because in the short time she'd known Raven, she genuinely _liked _her.

Clarke had never been a "girl's girl" and her best and only friend growing up had been a boy. She had never needed more than Wells but upon arriving on Earth, she had found friendship in Octavia. Raven was another girl her age and Clarke wanted them to be friends, despite what was going on around them.

"Here we are." Clarke broke the group's silence when they came upon the wall and Raven gave a low whistle.

"More than seven feet of structured defense. Nice work, delinquents."

Even Bellamy grinned at that.

"I know you want to see Finn, but it's imperative that I clean your cut and stitch it before you lose any more blood."

"I get it, Clarke. I'm in love but I'm not an idiot. Health first." Raven agreed.

"That's a refreshing attitude. Most of my patients are stubborn and it takes me longer to convince them I need to treat their wounds so they don't die than actually healing them."

"You're just like your mom."

Clarke swallowed once but refused to let the comment mean more than it was supposed to. Her mother was the best doctor alive and Clarke had learned what she knew from her. It was a compliment and nothing more.

"Thank you. I've used what medical knowledge I possess to keep injuries to a minimum. It could be better but it could be a lot worse."

"Optimism? You must be the benevolent queen who fights to keep the bellicose king in check, huh?"

"That's actually a perfectly apt description of Bellamy. Bellicose." Clarke repeated with a teasing smirk in his direction.

"You're only happy someone referred to you as the queen. Maybe you should be the one watching your ego."

"Nice try. That's still your problem."

Their banter was cut short by the opening of the gates. Miller and Parker stood there, surprised at the new guest but not reacting more than that. Bellamy's stern demeanor always warned them about questioning him.

They entered the drop ship and Octavia jumped up to meet them.

"How was the birthday celebration? Hey, who are you?"

"Raven Reyes, g force mechanic and electrical engineer."

"Finally, another useful woman for the group. I swear, Clarke and I are drowning among these damsels in distress."

They all laughed at that and suddenly Raven had become part of their little circle. For a brief moment, there was only a blossoming friendship, but the moment passed too swiftly.

* * *

Clarke had stitched Raven's forehead and forced her to promise she'd come back if any blood flow resumed. Raven had mumbled something like that and rushed to find Finn, leaving Clarke and Bellamy to deal with the new information and supplies.

"The medical supplies can be organized in this shelf. Octavia, do you mind?" Clarke asked and the younger girl set to arranging the items.

"There are four of these tents. They're made of a strong polymer that maintains an interior temperature of sixty degrees. They can fit five to eight people comfortably."

Clarke bit her lip as she pondered the tent distribution.

"It wouldn't be fair to give it to twenty people and keep the others in the regular tents. It's starting to get colder. When winter comes, these tents could be indispensable coupled with the drop ship. It would keep us warm enough. Until then, it's best to keep them hidden. They aren't a necessity at the moment."

"Agreed." Bellamy placed them in a small corner of the back of the drop ship behind the crates and collected scrap metal.

It wasn't like anyone but Clarke and Octavia lingered in the drop ship's medical bay.

"Bellamy…" Clarke hesitated. "How can we save those people? The radio isn't working, the wristbands are the same. We can't let the council kill 320 working class people."

"Yeah, because we can be sure no council member will be making any sacrifices." Bellamy snarled.

"There has to be another way."

"I don't think there is one." He said quietly and Clarke shut her eyes in defeat.

"Don't hang up the superhero capes yet. I have an idea." Raven appeared, Finn in tow, wearing a sly smile. "We don't have to talk to the Ark, we just have to show them we're here, right?"

"How can we do that without the radio?" Bellamy asked.

"With a brilliant light show."

* * *

The flares had been all Raven's calculation. She had designed the rockets with Monty's help and Bellamy ordered all of the 100 to build them as Raven required.

When they finally went off, blasting towards the wide expanse of space that had once been their home, Clarke found herself transfixed by the vivid crimson color left behind.

"You think they can see it up there?" Bellamy came up behind her, pulling her into his arms so they were both looking up.

"I hope so… Can you wish on this type of shooting star?"

Bellamy kissed the crown of her golden hair.

"I thought you didn't like wishing for what won't come true."

"Birthday candles aren't the same as shooting stars. This represents something bigger. Something more important."

"Okay. What would you wish for if it counted?"

"Survival. For all of us. For those 320 lives on the Ark and for the delinquents struggling to achieve what the Ark couldn't. I want us to survive, Bellamy. Do you think that's too much to ask for?"

"No, Clarke. That's what I'd wish for."

She leaned back into his chest and let his embrace give her the strength she lacked. She turned her head to see Raven leaning on Finn's shoulder. The girl gave her a smile and Clarke returned it. They all had the weight of the world on their shoulders in different ways. Clarke carried the life she left behind and the people she was trying to protect on Earth, as well as her father's death. Bellamy carried his parents' deaths, his sister's life, and the crimes he'd committed to get to Clarke. If the flares didn't work, this would be an added weight to them but it would be a crushing weight for Raven.

Clarke hoped it didn't come to that and if it did… she hoped even more Raven could shoulder it and live on.

* * *

Far above the gathered delinquents, in the blackness of space, the Ark released the recently deceased, allowing the bodies to return to the Earth that had once bred them.

Dr. Griffin and Chancellor Jaha stared out the small window of the medical facility at the floating coffins. They each held the power of titles and it had only brought pressures and faults. The chancellor didn't know what he'd become and Abby could only reminisce about the early days.

"Do you think my son is alive?" the chancellor asked, his voice barely audible.

"Yes."

"How can you say it so assuredly?"

"Because I know my daughter and I know Clarke is alive. Clarke loves Wells and Wells adores Clarke. They will stay together and stay alive. It's a matter of believing. Where have your beliefs gone?"

"I ask myself that question every day."

"And?"

"And I haven't answered it once."

Dr. Griffin faced forward and let the conversation filter away from them, so only silence remained.

Seconds later, so quickly she almost blinked and missed it, three red sparks erupted from the Earth and disappeared again.

"Did-did you see that?" she asked Jaha, relieved to see the chancellor's stunned gaze on the same sight.

"My God, I did."

**I'm trying to explore the depth of other characters. For instance, what will the death of 320 lives do to Raven? And along the way Clarke and Bellamy. I didn't want to do the same as the show and make Bellamy dump the radio because it would make no sense for him to sabotage something Clarke is counting on. Don't worry, Bellamy will have other internal conflicts coming up because if he wasn't at blame for this, what will he hallucinate in my version of "Day Trip"? Oh you shall see, my readers...**


	8. Chapter 8

**Blake sibling time. We will see some flashbacks and introspections and… some fighting. This chapter is really long the way I have it planned so I broke it into this chapter and the next one just so I could post something for you guys in case I can't post the other half by today or tomorrow.**

**Part VIII. **

Octavia had been born a dreamer, most likely because it was the most tangible thing she could hold onto in the darkness of her space under the floorboards. She loved her mother and adored her brother like nothing else, but for many hours of the day she was left in silence when her family left the apartment for the normalcy of work. Octavia knew she'd never have that. She was educated with second hand schoolbooks her mother had found and fascinated by fantastic tales Bellamy wove for her.

Her life had always been scraps of other's lives because she was not allowed to live her own. In her dreams, she was free to roam the Ark and fly, unstoppable, through space until she touched down on Earth. Octavia's Earth was dazzling splashes of color and blinding arrays of light. The sky would be tinged in pink and gold, the ground was a fresh forest green speckled with a rainbow of flowers, and she was at the center of it all breathing in the pure energy of Earth.

Reality had not been as appealing, but Octavia wasn't disappointed, not really. While those around her complained of crappy berries and roots or the lack of plumbing, Octavia just smiled to herself because she was unrestrained. All her childhood, she'd been caged in and once the guard found out about her existence, she was behind a locked steel door. On Earth, the chains had disappeared. Sure, she had limitations, but never again would she be subjected to solitary confinements under the floor or behind a blank door.

This was why she chased butterflies and jumped into unknown waters without a second thought. Everything was new to her and she was _curious_. Of course, what Octavia didn't know (how could she) was that a certain adage about curiosity killing the cat was quite true. And unfortunately, she was that cat.

She woke up earlier than anyone in camp, pleased to note neither Clarke nor Bellamy had stirred from their tent, and slipped past the sleeping sentry out the gate of the wall, jogging as quietly as possible. Octavia needed a respite from the camp. Clarke had enlisted her as her nurse and medical assistant, seeking to pass her skills to another capable person in case of an emergency. While Octavia appreciated the older girl's trust in her, the sudden responsibility was bigger than she expected. People literally handed over their lives to them and one mistake could mean a dead body on the medical table.

It was a pressure that had to be relived somehow. Clarke relied on Bellamy to get her through the hardships and Octavia honestly found their relationship beautiful, envying the ease with which they loved each other. She didn't have that support. Her close friends, Jasper and Monty, tried to be there for her but they were boys and had a previously forged friendship. She knew Jasper felt something for her, but she wasn't sure how she felt about him and examining possible romances was too complex for her at the moment. Since a boyfriend wasn't available to her, she'd have to deal another way.

And that meant the butterfly fields. These butterflies were more than luminescent wings to Octavia. They were a symbol of hope and perseverance. The butterflies had survived the nuclear apocalypse caused by humanity and come out better than before. Some species had been wiped out and others, like the deer, had been disfigured and ruined, yet the butterflies were still flying, still working to create their communities. Octavia couldn't help but compare herself to the fluttering insects.

In her excitement to reach the clearing, Octavia hadn't noticed she'd been going in the wrong direction. It was early enough the sun wasn't a viable guide for a journey and she had been counting on her previous trips to lead her, but somewhere she'd made a wrong turn and completely deviated from the intended location. She was miles away from camp when she noticed her mistake and paused, looking around her with something akin to fear.

"Shit." She whispered in the uncommon silence of the woods.

Octavia took a deep breath, remembering what Clarke once told her to do in the event of a problem.

"_Take three deep breaths and force yourself to remain calm. When you panic, you lose control and that is the last thing you want down here."_

Octavia took two more deep breaths and considered her options. She could try to retrace her steps, even though she didn't know what those were, or she could go forward and maybe find a familiar marking of previous trips. She hadn't walked farther than the first day's trip with Wells, Clarke, Finn, and Monty. If she reached the lake where she'd been attacked by the snake, she definitely knew the way back.

Octavia chose the second option and began walking as quickly as she could. She never saw the incline coming and when the ground disappeared she could only gasp in surprise as she tumbled forward, her clothes ripping from upturned twigs and stones. She landed at the bottom, head-first as she slammed into the terrain and was knocked unconscious.

* * *

"_Tell me a story, Bell." A nine year old Octavia with messy bangs and a messier dress begged her brother._

"_Octavia, you need to be in bed already." Their mother said from the kitchen and Octavia's sea-green eyes fell._

"_I'm sure we can find the time for one story." Bellamy stated and ignored the disappointed look his mother gave him, focusing instead on the joy that now graced Octavia's small face._

"_At least get her in the bed." His mother put in and he gave her a curt nod until she retreated to the single bedroom in the back of the apartment._

"_All right, O, get comfortable so I can tell you all about The Little Fairy."_

"_I love fairy stories!" she beamed, clambering through the open door leading to her space under the floor._

_She got under the covers and clutched her stuffed rabbit to her chest, watching Bellamy expectantly. He chuckled and made himself comfortable at the edge of the floor before beginning a story about a little fairy who lost her fairy light and spent many years trying to regain her light by helping the children of the world until the children's love granted her more than just light. They gave her the sacred spark all fairies spent their lives trying to find, making the persistent fairy the queen of all fairies and the keeper of the fairy light._

_Bellamy finished the story and looked down to see Octavia's eyes closed and silent breaths escaping her lips as she slept. He smiled and leaned down to kiss her forehead._

"_Sweet dreams, little fairy." He murmured before closing the door and moving the carpet to cover the opening._

_He went to the bedroom, laying down besides his mother. He was about to close his eyes when his mother spoke._

"_There will come a time when you can no longer shield her from the world."_

"_What?" Bellamy asked, turning to face his mother, who he had assumed was asleep._

_Her pale eyes were misty as she faced him._

"_I've given everything I have to raise you and your sister, but I won't be here forever. I might not even be here tomorrow. We don't know what the future holds. I do know that Octavia will face horrible truths and realities soon and when that happens, you have to be there to save her. She is sheltered ere, Bellamy. She hasn't seen what's outside these doors and I've done that purposely. I don't want her to see the barrel of a gun or the cold, choking air of space when the council floats you. I want her safe. Always. But this won't last and when the time comes, you will have to guide her and keep her grounded. Octavia wants more than the universe can offer. She's a dreamer… Do you understand what you have to do, Bellamy?"_

"_Keep her safe."_

"_More than that. Keep her living. She is more than your sister, she is your responsibility. She is part of you."_

"_My sister, my responsibility." He whispered._

"_Yes." His mother responded, exhausted but relieved._

_Her children would be okay without her. They had each other and that was more than enough._

Bellamy opened his eyes and sat up in the stillness of his tent, his senses unnaturally alert for the early hour. It couldn't be more than two or three in the morning and he confirmed this after checking the watch Clarke always wore on her left wrist. The girl, herself, was sound asleep and he knew he should still be lying beside her, sharing Clarke's warmth, but the memory had invaded his dreams and jarred him awake for a reason he hadn't figured out.

It wasn't the first time he remembered the night his mother made him promise to do whatever it took to save Octavia. It was a common memory and one he kept close to his heart, but what was strange was that it woke him up so abruptly. There was a nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach and he decided the only thing to do was check in on Octavia. Maybe seeing her stubborn features softened in sleep would let him return to his own rest. He pulled on his shirt and pants, slipping into his boots and making his way out of the tent with a last glance at the still slumbering Clarke.

He made his way to his sister's tent a little ways from his own and moved the flap to poke his head in. His pulse quickened and he felt his blood freeze at the empty sleeping bag. Octavia had a tent to herself, per his orders, so there was no one to question about her whereabouts. Octavia's friends, the plant collectors, Spacewalker and his girlfriend, the chancellor's son, and Clarke were all asleep and if they weren't with her… where exactly had his sister gone?

* * *

The first thing Octavia noticed upon waking was a thrumming pain in the back of her head. She groaned as she sat upright and touched the spot, hissing when her hand grazed the bump. Her fingers inspected her face and was not surprised at the specks of blood and dirt coloring her skin. There was another muted pain in her leg and she looked down to see that her right leg was tied tightly with strips of clothing to prevent any bleeding and keep her leg straight.

Blinking dazedly, Octavia took in her surroundings and realized she was in some sort of cave. There were antique trinkets and knick knacks everywhere and Octavia wondered who was living here. She got her answer minutes later when a tall shape came in through an opening in the rock she hadn't seen and approached her without hesitation.

She scrambled back along the floor until her back hit the wall. A Grounder. She had been taken captive by a Grounder and now she would be killed. He probably wanted her alive to roast her fresh and eat her as she screamed. They had spared Jasper but now they had her alone and with no one looking for her. Octavia shut her eyes, waiting for the inevitable end and was shocked when a large hand gripped her chin.

Her blue eyes opened and met analytical green orbs. The Grounder watched her and Octavia watched him.

"Are you going to kill me?" she asked, almost choking on the words because her throat felt so raw and dry.

In response the Grounder released her chin and pushed a canteen to her lips. She grabbed it and didn't think before gulping the fresh water down and sighing in content as the burn in her throat disappeared. The Grounder took the canteen back and stared at her again.

"Who are you? Why did you bring me here? Why did you… save me?" she asked.

The Grounder tilted his head but did not answer.

He stood and left the cave without another glance back, leaving Octavia more confused and staring after him because she couldn't remove the feel of those intense green eyes on her.

* * *

"Clarke, wake up. Clarke." A voice whispered in her ear.

She mumbled something semi-coherent and turned away from the noise disturbing her, though it sounded very familiar.

"No, Princess, I can't leave you alone. This is important." The voice insisted and Clarke's brow furrowed.

She allowed her eyes to open and took in Bellamy leaning over her, his face anxious and his eyes restless.

"Bell, what's wrong?" she sat up and he moved to give her space as she checked her watch. "3:14 in the morning? What happened?" she was more alert as she realized he wouldn't have woken her at that time unless something serious had occurred.

"Octavia's missing."

"What? Are you sure?"

"She isn't in her tent or the drop ship."

"Yes, but this is Octavia. She's probably off chasing a butterfly."

"I went to the fields. She wasn't there. Clarke, I need your help."

She gave a slow nod and placed her palm against his cheek.

"Okay. We'll find her, Bellamy. Don't worry."

He pressed a kiss to her palm.

"Until we find her, all I can do is worry."

She got dressed and followed him out of the tent.

"I'll check all the levels of the drop ship. You go through all the tents."

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me, Bell. I care about Octavia. You guys are my family. I help my family." She gave him a soft smile and he ran hand through her blonde hair reverently.

"I love you, Princess."

"I love you too. We'll meet back here in ten minutes. If we haven't found her by then, we can organize a search party."

He nodded and they went separate ways.

Ten minutes later, Bellamy's jaw was tight and his shoulders were tense. Clarke's brow was furrowed and she met Bellamy's gaze with concern.

"She isn't in camp."

"I'm going out to find her." Bellamy declared.

"I'm coming with you."

"Clarke-

"I said I'm coming with you. Wake up the others and tell them what's happening. We need at least four others in case we run into any problems."

Bellamy didn't bother arguing her and began waking the camp, glaring at the sentry at the wall who was jerked awake by the shouts. Bellamy would deal with that idiot later.

When the others had gathered around the fire pit, Bellamy informed them of Octavia's disappearance and asked for volunteers to accompany him.

Ryan and Wilson stepped forward, eager to prove their worth to Bellamy. After Murphy's banishment the position of Bellamy's lieutenant was left for grabs. Clarke would personally prefer Miller, who was a decent person and intelligent strategist and not pretentious jerks seeking power. Those were the kind of people Ryan and Wilson were but Clarke didn't say anything because finding Octavia was the priority and political divisions were not needed then.

"I'll follow you anywhere, Bellamy." A sultry voice pronounced and Clarke's eyes narrowed when a model-esque girl named Roma stepped forward along with a strong girl named Monroe, who Clarke remembered had gotten into a brawl with Ryan over water rations.

Monroe had won.

"Fine. Roma, Wilson, Ryan, Monroe you're coming with us. Finn! Wherever you are, get your ass moving. You're coming too." Bellamy ordered.

Finn and Raven appeared from their tent, Finn sporting significantly shorter locks.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

"To find my sister."

"Octavia's gone?" Jasper had pushed his way forward and Clarke's heart went out to the gangly boy.

He was half in love with Octavia, but her feelings were much vaguer. She wasn't shocked when Jasper volunteered to join them.

"You don't have to, Jasper. I know leaving camp won't be easy on you." Clarke spoke gently but he shook his head.

"This is something I have to do, Clarke."

She didn't contradict him and watched him collect two knives along with the others in the party.

"Brave kid." Bellamy stood next to her.

"I know, I saved him, remember?"

He looked away from her pointed stare.

"It was a rash call. You were right."

"What was that?" she grinned.

"I won't say it again."

"Once was all I needed. Are we heading out?"

He was about to answer when Raven let out a strangled sob. Clarke's head snapped up to see Raven's dark eyes wide as she stared at the sky. Clarke looked up and wished she hadn't.

"They didn't get our message." Raven said, her fists clenched at her sides.

"And you know that because of some meteor shower?" Bellamy asked and Raven glowered at him.

"Bellamy, it's not a meteor shower. It's a funeral. Hundreds of bodies being sent back to Earth from the Ark." Clarke explained and saw her regret reflected in his eyes.

"This is all my fault." Raven was saying, her eyes had gone glassy like she was in shock.

"No, Rae, you did all you could." Finn had moved to embrace her but she shied away from his touch and wrapped her arms around herself.

"Finn, we have to go." Bellamy said.

He was upset that so many lives had ended but his sister was his main concern and he couldn't change what had already happened.

"I need to stay with Raven right now. She can't be alone."

Raven didn't react to what was being said about her and she ducked into her tent without another word.

"She won't be. You go, Finn, I'll stay with her." Clarke said. "Bellamy needs a tracker and you'll be more valuable out there than me."

"Are you sure, Clarke?" Bellamy asked her and she turned to him.

"Go get Octavia back. Let's be honest, you would be more worried about my safety if I went with you. This way, you can focus on Octavia without distractions."

"Thank you, Princess." He said, kissing her deeply.

"Come back soon, Bell." She whispered against his lips.

"I'll be back before you realize I'm gone, love." He backed away from her and finally turned to exit the gate with the others following.

"Clarke." Finn said. "Don't let her fall apart."

"I won't." she swore and he nodded.

"Thank you."

He was the last one out before the gate swung shut and Clarke was left alone to help her friend heal, all the while praying her family would return to her intact.


	9. Chapter 9

**I'm so sorry for the delay! My computer was experiencing problems, but it's fixed and I will update as usual.**

**I try to add light elements to the inherent darkness of the storyline so while the show is like 120% dark, I've made mine only 80% or so dark, though things will get darker I think.**

**As always, thank you for the reviews and follows and favorites and all the interest in my story. I love you guys!**

**Part IX**

Raven had never been a crier. She'd had more than enough reasons to do so as a poor Walden girl neglected by her deserting father and uncaring mother. Mara Reyes only used her daughter for extra coupons and discounts on expensive goods like alcohol and tobacco.

Raven raised herself instead, instilling perseverance and strength as core values and living by one rule: Don't let anyone close enough to affect you. For twelve years this was all she lived by, but then she meet Finn.

Finn Collins was everything she wasn't: sensitive, courteous, gentle, and sweet. Finn wouldn't have been responsible for the death of 320 innocent lives. He would have found a way to save them, but Raven had failed. She promised Abby she would arrive on Earth and save them all, the Ark and the 100, but instead she had stitches in her head and blood on her hands.

In that moment, the tough-as-nails mechanic cursed the tears slipping past her eyelids but didn't wipe them away. She was falling apart. Finn always knew when she was on the verge of a breakdown. Her life hadn't been easy and there had been many times, many fights with her mother and with envious girls in her classes that had gotten to her. Finn would find her and pull her into his chest, whispering anything and everything. Sometimes it was nonsense meant to distract her or a quick joke to make her laugh and forget.

But, Finn wasn't here. Raven was not a selfish person and she knew others needed her boyfriend more than she did. Finn would help save Octavia and a human life was more important than Raven's breakdown, especially when she was the cause of the loss of so many human lives already. No need to add another.

"Raven. Raven!" a voice brought her out of her head and the teenage mechanical engineer blinked to clear her mind and the tears blurring her vision.

Clarke breathed a sigh of relief when Raven's almond eyes met hers evenly. She'd been calling her Raven's name for several minutes and receiving no response from the other girl.

"Raven, please talk to me."

"Sometimes I think Finn wishes he'd never met me." She replied distantly.

Clarke was caught off guard by the statement and it took her a second to respond.

"That's not true."

"Isn't it?" Finn is compassionate and vibrant and he draws people in until they can't help but love him. I should know." She gave a hard laugh. "What do I do? I push the world away and ruin the lives of those who stray too close. My dad abandoned me, my mother never wanted me, I've never really had friends, and I let down Dr. Griffin, the only person who still believed in me. I killed those people and I sentenced us all to a drawn-out death. I'm poison." Her voice broke but she cleared her throat, refusing to release the rest of the tears brimming behind her eyes. "Finn would be better off without me."

Clarke watched Raven's internal battle and she knew the only way to remove her from her pain was to open up her own Pandora's Box of insecurities. There was some saying about misery feeling better in company, wasn't there?

"At times, I wonder if Bellamy will get tired of me."

Raven's brow furrowed as she glanced at Clarke.

"What?"

"Bellamy as a rebellious spirit and that entices everyone around him. Do you know how easily these kids followed him and put him on this emulated pedestal? Half the girls in this camp want me to be speared by a Grounder so Bellamy rejoins the singles sphere." Her words were bitter. "I'm the sensible, _necessary_ doctor trying to keep peace and order in a group of delinquent teenagers, who really don't appreciate it. They would never follow me. Not without Bellamy at my side. What if he gets fed up of my rules and idealism? What if he decides those beautiful, easygoing girls drooling over him are better? More fun, less trouble for him. Maybe Bellamy would be better off without me."

"Clarke, that's a load of shit. Bellamy loves you. I haven't been here more than a day and it's clear to me that he would do anything for you. Those whores in the background will always stay that meaningless."

Clarke shot her a grateful smile.

"I believe that 99% of the time, but that 1% of doubt gets to me sometimes. It gets to all of us, but it doesn't change the reality of it. Finn loves you, Raven. He almost killed Monty when he accidentally severed the wristband's connection to the Ark. He couldn't handle losing you and since you've arrived, he acts differently. He's a better man because of you." She reaffirmed and Clarke meant every word.

Finn had not made one flirtatious advance towards Clarke since Raven's arrival and he gravitated toward his girlfriend, looking at her with a singular, tender look. Whatever had been going through Finn's mind those first ten days on the ground was irrelevant. Clarke never regarded him as more than a friend and when Finn saw Raven again, he had changed.

"Damn it." Raven growled and Clarke noticed fresh tears spilling from her eyes.

"Expressing your emotions doesn't make you weak."

"I've never believed that."

"Honestly? Me neither, but I've learned to trust in the right people. If they really care, there's nothing that will get in the way, especially not saline water."

Raven rolled her eyes.

"You made that sound both corny and nerdy. Congrats, Doc."

They both laughed and Raven wiped the tears from her face.

"Thank you, Clarke."

"You're welcome. I know I can't make you forget what happened, but I hope I've helped you forgive yourself."

"I'll… try."

She was stubborn and Clarke knew enough about hard-headed people to know when to stop pushing.

"Okay." The blonde sighed, pale blue eyes focused beyond the material of the tent.

"What is it?"

"I feel so useless. Octavia is probably wounded and disoriented out there and Bellamy's exposed to a Grounder attack searching for her. All I've done is bother you with my problems."

Raven chuckled.

"Then I've done the same. If I had gotten ahold of myself, I could be with Finn. It kills me thinking he can be dead at any moment and I won't know until it's too late."

"We're such perky people." Clarke deadpanned and Raven shoved her playfully.

"We may not be as sunny as other girls, but I do know one way we can utilize our time."

"How?"

"By fixing the radio."

"I thought it was busted."

"Not completely. The signal's scattered and disconnected from the Ark's systems because the crash destroyed its transmitter. If I could replace the transmitter with a feasible substitute, the main circuitry should respond and the signal will work again."

"Where will we find another transmitter?"

"Before my trip, I did some research into the Ark's files on the Earth and there are leftover nuclear bunkers scattered underground. If we're lucky, we can not only find a bunker but find something that used batteries or an antenna to work. I could remove the transmitter and voila, radio signal."

Clarke considered this. If she and Raven made the trip, who would watch over the camp. Bellamy and Clarke were the de facto leaders and Bellamy had taken trusted members of the 100 with him, including Finn, Monroe, and Jasper. Who would Clarke leave in charge in the interim?

"If you have a map of the area, I can point out the locations I remember of the probable space of the bunkers. I'm sure there's one less than five miles from here." Raven was saying.

"The map and compass are in my tent. While you do that, I'll talk to Miller. Let him know I'm leaving."

"Do you like being in charge?"

"Not as much as I'd thought." She said and left it at that.

* * *

Bellamy was scared. It wasn't something he'd ever admit out loud, but it was inevitably true. He had seen the displayed skeletons and sharp sticks adorning the Grounder's territory. He knew crossing that line meant possible death, but that hadn't deterred him. Octavia was out there and until she was safe in her tent back at camp, he wouldn't stop looking.

Roma and Wilson had expressed their fear, the former begging to turn back. Bellamy had ignored them, stepping forward purposely. He knew they would follow. They always did. He had been thankful to feel Jasper and Finn fall into place directly behind him. Clarke's little group had grown on him. Jasper cared for his sister and Finn was dedicated to helping people in need, so both boys were useful to him. If they'd earned Clarke's friendship, Bellamy was willing to offer them his respect.

"I don't want this to earn me a punch in the face, but what happens if the Grounders attack? Do we run?" Finn had reached his side.

"We do what we have to. I can't afford to die without finding my sister." The response was brusque but honest.

"Fair enough. I'd expect flight would be better option than fight. Our weapons are nothing compared to theirs and not everyone is as… motivated as you. Don't underestimate their survival instinct. They might run the other way."

"Then one way or another they'll die as cowards. That's not my problem." He said gruffly.

"You're pleasant company, Bellamy."

"Screw you, Spacewalker. And keep your mouth shut. We can't afford to lose the element of surprise."

"I hate to break it to you, Bellamy, but the Grounders knew we were here the second we entered this forest. They're waiting."

"For what?"

"I don't know." Finn admitted, falling silent.

* * *

"I found it!" Raven crowed victoriously and Clarke rushed forward, kneeling next to her to pull open the metal hatch of the bunker.

Clarke had the flashlight so she descended first. She gasped when the beam of the flashlight fell on the items scattered around the bunker.

"A sketchbook." She moved to stroke the leather cover and flicked through the pages, pleased to note most of it was empty.

"Prioritize." Raven reminded her and Clarke blushed, turning the light to the other small wooden tables and metal boxes lining the floor.

"Will this work?" Clarke lifted a remote controlled car and the small remote from a box and handed it to Raven.

"Oh yeah. Perfect." The mechanic opened the remote and removed the needed transmitter as Clarke explored the rest of the bunker.

"There's a bed and actual pillows. Some expired cans of fruit." Clarke listed her findings.

Raven pocketed the transmitter and made her own exploration of the area.

"This place would make a great getaway spot. You know, when the crapload of camp problems get to us. Plus, a comfortable bed? Bonus."

Even in the dim light, Clarke saw her lascivious wink and laughed.

"You and Bellamy need to stop thinking so much about sex."

"Oh please, like you don't have wet dreams every other night."

Clarke sputtered in embarrassment and finally found the words to mutter that she didn't need wet dreams to satisfy her.

"Ha! I knew you two were shaking the sheets!"

"What?"

"Knocking boots? Bumping uglies? Roasting the broomstick? Doing the horizontal hula?"

"Raven, what the hell is wrong with you?"

The other girl simply laughed.

"I'm glad you're getting busy, Clarke. Down here, we need all the stress relief we can get. Let's get back to camp so I can fix this transmitter."

"Yes, please." Clarke agreed, eager to forget the conversation about her sex life had ever occurred.

* * *

Octavia despised the idea that she was the damsel in distress. She didn't doubt that Bellamy was already looking for her, traipsing brusquely though the forest with his search party. She appreciated that her brother wanted to protect her from every evil, but on Earth there was no way to plan ahead. Life was unexpected and the extent of Earth's dangers was far from obvious.

For this reason, Octavia pushed herself to her feet, whimpering at the stab of pain in her treated leg. She walked carefully and quietly until she discovered a hole on the right wall of the cave. She bent forward, crawling through the dirt and cobwebs of the narrow passage with disgust.

"I'm not afraid. I'm not afraid." She repeated in a rough whisper.

"_What are you so afraid of?" her mother insisted._

_Octavia turned her head away in defiance and did not respond._

"_Octavia Marie, you are too old to throw temper tantrums. I am your mother. I know what's best for you and I know how to keep you safe. Don't you understand that?"_

_Octavia's sapphire eyes flashed with anger and a flicker of panic. It was getting late and that meant she'd have to jump into her hole and be locked away in the darkness while her family slept in a normal room above her. _

"_I won't hesitate to force you in if I have to." Her mother added and Octavia gave her a scathing look._

"_Believe me, I know exactly what you're capable of, Mother." Her voice was as frigid as the ice her eyes so often reflected._

"_You don't understand." She sounded tired but Octavia didn't care._

_She hadn't asked to be born and her mother treated her more like a burden than a child. Octavia was twelve but she wasn't stupid. If anyone discovered she was alive… well she wouldn't be for much longer. That didn't make her situation any better. She was a child and most children had a fear of the dark. Octavia only had the dark and when she was younger curling up with her frayed stuffed rabbit was enough to convince her the monsters would stay away, but now she didn't fear monsters. She feared a much more real feeling of claustrophobia and of the darkness swallowing her whole._

_Octavia saw her mother glance at the clock and knew she was on the verge of pushing her in and slamming the floorboards over her. Her heart began to beat faster and her pulse jumped in her veins. If she had to, she'd scream. If the guards took her then at least her jail cell would be more spacious. _

"_O, what are you doing up? You need the beauty sleep or your hair will turn gray and your skin will shrivel." Bellamy entered the room with a wide grin at his little sister._

_He instantly picked up on the tension and his expression fell._

"_What's wrong, O?"_

"_She doesn't want to go to sleep. She's scared." His mother said and he noticed the deep circles under her eyes and the rising desperation in her tone._

"_Why don't you head to bed, Mom. I'll tuck her in."_

_She didn't protest and retreated to the bedroom, knowing her son was better fit to handle the situation. _

"_Bell, I-I don't like the dark. Down there, everything is different. I feel… lost." She admitted and her brother knelt at her side to pull her into his arms._

"_You're not lost, Octavia. If you were, I'd find you. Always. It's not easy hiding under the floor. I know it's not fair to you, but I hate to tell you that most things aren't as fair as we want them to be." He paused to stroke her messy hair. "You feel scared of the dark?"_

"_Yes." Her voice was tiny, unlike the excited timbre the vivacious girl usually used._

"_There is a way to fight it."_

"_How?"_

"_You shut your eyes and you tell yourself you're not afraid. Say it. Over and over. If you don't believe that you're not scared, then believe in the words. Then, the words will take over and you'll find that the fear is gone. You're free."_

_Octavia thought about it. It made sense. Fear came from her mind and if the words took over and distracted her mind, the fear would slip away._

"_Okay. I'll try it." She said and he smiled._

"_Atta girl. Ready for bed?"_

_She nodded and he sat back, letting her crawl into bed at her own pace. She lay back and surveyed the familiar walls of her hiding space. She looked up at her brother._

"_I'm ready."_

"_Good night, O. You're not afraid. You don't have to be afraid." He promised and slowly closed the panel._

_In the sudden darkness, Octavia forgot everything else and only felt the terror. Her breaths quickened and she felt the space closing in on her. Bellamy's words filtered through her brain and she closed her eyes._

"_There's nothing to be afraid of. I'm not afraid."_

"I'm not afraid. I'm not afraid." She repeated and soon enough she was breathing in moss and pine as the outside light reached her eyes

She stood upright and inspected the forest. She didn't recognize the area but she heard a lake in the distance and it was always smart to follow a body of water to its source. It might lead her closer to camp. She began walking with a slight limp from her leg, wondering where the Grounder had gone and why one of their supposed enemies had bandaged her leg and left her alive.

* * *

Jasper sensed them first. He had developed a widespread paranoia that alerted him to any movement behind him or in his peripheral vision. While it was useful, the other side effects to his attack and capture by the Grounders included less pleasant things like paralyzing nightmares and a nervous tic. When he turned his head and saw the camouflaged man in the skull mask, he almost cried out. It took all his control to remember that giving in to his weakness would get both him and Octavia killed.

"They're here." He whispered and in the silence of the forest, the entire group stopped to look at him.

"How do you know?" Bellamy demanded but Jasper was saved the trouble when the first arrow ripped through Wilson's throat.

"Run!" Finn shouted and the remaining six rushed forward, avoiding dozens of arrows.

A mile later Jasper stopped, doubled over, as the stitched wound in his abdomen came roaring back. He hadn't torn Clarke's handiwork but he had overexerted his body and almost staggered to the floor.

"Jasper can't run anymore." Finn said, stopping next to the heaving boy.

"Then he's on his own." Roma replied.

"No. I'm tired of running anyway. These bastards want a fight? They've got one." Bellamy brandished his axe and knife threateningly at the trees where the Grounders had hidden.

"Are you kidding me?" Roma's dark eyes narrowed but Bellamy's expression was unyielding.

"You knew what you were getting into when you volunteered to come."

"I wanted something else." Her eyes ran over his frame but she shook her head and backed away. "It's not worth my life, though." She promptly doubled back and ran another way.

"Roma!" Monroe shouted.

"Let her go." Bellamy ordered, seeing the Grounders reappear. "They're here."

The group of five huddled back to back, extending their weapons as the formation of Grounders inched closer.

Bellamy saw flashes of Clarke and Octavia as the impending death approached. He wouldn't get to share a life with Clarke or see his sister grow into an adult, but if this fight was his last he'd make it count. Bellamy raised his axe as one burly Grounder moved into his sight, but before he could throw the weapon and lunge forward, a loud horn sounded and the Grounders stopped, staring at the sky and suddenly running away from the small group.

"What the hell just happened?" Bellamy asked.

"The Grounders were communicating. It was some sort of warning. If they left us alive, it's because they thought we wouldn't make it much longer anyway." Finn glanced at the sky and his eyes widened. "Acid fog! It's the only thing that would draw them away!"

"Burning to death via poison is not the way I wanted to go." Jasper mumbled.

"No, there's no fog coming." Bellamy contradicted, analyzing the grey skies. "When it comes, the clouds are yellow and the air is thin."

"If the fog isn't coming, what did that horn mean?" Monroe asked.

Bellamy didn't answer. His gaze had fallen on a distant rock formation.

"There." He pointed. "What does that look like to you?"

"A cave." Finn answered.

"Let's go." Bellamy ordered, continuing forward.

* * *

"Don't do this! Please! Please let me go!" Octavia pleaded.

She hadn't gone half a mile from the cave when the flurry of activity surprised her. She'd heard Bellamy's voice and heard the shouts of the Grounders as they attacked whatever group her brother was leading. She saw a girl from camp speared through the stomach and left bent over in a tree. Octavia had staggered back and bumped into a hard chest. The Grounder that had given her water earlier had returned.

He'd clamped a hand over her mouth to keep her quiet and dragged her back to the cave. Once back Octavia had thanked him for saving her, but begun to explain that her brother was outside and she needed to get to him. The Grounder made no indication that he heard and instead dragged her to a corner of the cave and chained her to the wall by her wrists.

"No!" she cried in desperation.

The turn of events had released all her fears tenfold. She felt darkness suffocating her and saw the gray walls of her space under the floorboards and of her jail cell. Octavia whimpered as the walls moved in and pulled against the chains.

"Octavia!"

"Bellamy?" she whirled from her position on the floor and saw incredulously as her brother entered the cave. "Oh my God. Bellamy!"

Relief washed over her as her brother embraced her and released her wrists from the shackles. She was so immersed in being liberated, she'd forgotten about her captor.

They were alerted to the Grounder's presence when he knocked Monroe and Ryan to the side and barreled towards Octavia and Bellamy. Jasper reacted quickly and hit him from behind with a large branch he'd picked up outside. The Grounder lay unconscious before them and Finn crouched by his side, noticing a glint of gold at his belt.

Bellamy had released Octavia and slipped the blade from his pocket, advancing on the prone figure.

"Finn, get out of the way."

"Wait, what are you doing?" Octavia grabbed his arm.

"What needs to be done. These people are savages."

"He saved my life." She protested.

"No, _I _saved your life. He chained you to a wall."

As the siblings argued, Finn held the ornate horn in one hand thoughtfully. He'd suspected it had been a ruse, but how did helping them benefit the Grounder if he hated them all?

The Grounder's eyes flew open and in the second it took Finn to gasp in surprise, there was a knife in his upper abdomen. He fell back and the Grounder made to jump at Bellamy but Bellamy swung the blunt side of his axe down and the Grounder hit the floor hard. This time he was truly unconscious, but it was too late. Blood gushed from Finn's wound and the boy was panting in pain.

"What do we do?" Jasper asked frantically. "Take out the blade?"

"No." Bellamy said firmly. "If we do, he'll bleed out. We need to take him back to camp. Clarke will know what to do."

As they carried Finn from the cave, Bellamy forced his hands to steady. He'd hesitated. Octavia had gotten in the way and the Grounder who had taken his sister may have cost him the group's only tracker and scavenger. Not to mention Finn was a good person with friends and a fiery girlfriend who wouldn't take the news well.

Octavia lagged behind the group, her face closed off from him and Bellamy focused on carrying Finn's trembling body still because he already knew the real trouble was coming.

* * *

"Done!" Raven announced.

Clarke turned away from counting her herb stores and walked to where Raven had put up shop. The radio was connected to a bunch of cables and wires.

"We have a connection to the Ark?"

"No, I've installed the transmitter and set up the wires. I haven't tried sending the signal out. I was just celebrating ahead of time. Sorry."

Clarke offered her a warm smile.

"No need to apologize. You've done something no one else in this camp could."

"In an hour I'll have the signal out and connect to the Ark's systems."

"Why an hour?"

Before Raven could begin explaining the complexity of scattered signals and using the wrong channels or transmissions, Miller burst through the tarp of the drop ship.

"Clarke, they're back."

She was going to smile in relief, but the tightness in Miller's expression made her eyes fill with dread.

"Who is it?"

Her fingers dug into her palms almost painfully awaiting the answer.

"Finn got stabbed. He's unconscious."

Clarke heard Raven's screwdriver drop to the drop ship's metal floor, clanging ominously. She didn't waste any time and ran outside, Clarke following.

"Clarke!" Jasper called for her and Clarke jogged to his side, seeing Finn's head lolling against his chest.

"Oh my God." She put two fingers to the pulse point in his neck and felt the slow thrum of life there. "He's alive, but his pulse is too weak. Get him into the drop ship!"

Clarke spotted Bellamy standing behind the main group looking dazed, an expression the rugged rebel leader never wore.

"Clarke! Tell me you can do save him, tell me you can do this!" Raven's voice was high-pitched and her grip on Clarke's arms almost hurt.

"I-I-no not me. I need my mother."

"The radio isn't working yet!" Raven ran a hand through her hair.

"Raven, _fix it_. You can do it. Go!" she urged and the girl ran back to the drop ship where her boyfriend lay dying.

Clarke wanted to rush to Bellamy, but like Raven had reminded her before, she had to prioritize. She saw Octavia standing to one side and went to her first.

"Hey, are you okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, yeah. Finn needs you now."

Clarke did a quick study of the younger girl and saw only small scrapes on her face. Nothing serious.

"Okay." Clarke sprinted back to the med bay, mentally preparing herself for what she'd have to face next.

Bellamy had watched Clarke check on his sister and then rush to the drop ship and though the only thing he wanted to do was follow her and be with her, kissing her soft skin and burying his face in her golden tresses, he knew he couldn't. Clarke had her duties and he had his.

"Octavia." His voice was steady but low as he approached her and grabbed her arm. "We need to talk."

"Leave me alone." She tried to shake him off and make for the open gate, but he held on tighter.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"That's not your business."

"I just brought you back from your last unsupervised trip gone wrong. You're not going anywhere unless I say so."

"Excuse me?" she spat, blue eyes dangerously narrowed.

"Why were you defending that Grounder?"

"I told you. He saved my life."

"He chained you up! For all you know he was holding you for his friends to torture you or worse."

"No! I don't think-

"That's the problem, O, you don't think! If you had let me finish him when I had the chance, Finn wouldn't be hurt."

Octavia's eyes flashed and her mouth curled in anger.

"How dare you blame me for that? I wanted to leave! You were the one who held us back to try and murder an innocent man."

"Innocent?"

"Yes, innocent, you can't just kill someone because you think that will solve everything. If Finn dies in there, that's on you just like your attempt on the chancellor's life!"

Bellamy didn't know who had told her and frankly he didn't care. He would apologize for doing what he had to do to get on the drop ship.

"I did it for you and Clarke."

"Stop blaming other people for _your _mistakes! I never asked you to kill for me! I never wanted any of this. You were the one who got me locked up on the Ark. You were the one who wanted me to go to that stupid party. You got Mom killed!" she cried and Bellamy almost winced at her words.

"Me?" he gave a derisive chuckle, turning his pain into anger. "Mom died because she had you. That was her choice. I didn't have a choice. My life ended the day you were born."

Octavia's eyes widened and Bellamy knew he had gone too far. She jerked away from him, making another motion towards the gate, but Bellamy pulled her back.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"You can't keep me locked in here with you forever." She hissed, shaking his arm off roughly and running to her tent.

Bellamy watched her leave and internally cursed himself. He had just hurt one of the only two people he cared about and his words had been so cruel. Octavia wouldn't be forgiving him anytime soon. He didn't think he deserved it anyway. Bellamy hardened his expression again, shooting one look towards the drop ship and the promise of seeing Clarke, before turning to Miller and the other guard on duty, whose name might have been Viktor.

"Get two more men and bring your weapons."

"Where are we going?" Viktor asked.

"Hunting."

"We went hunting yesterday. Our stores aren't empty yet."

"I didn't say we were hunting for food." Bellamy growled and went to gather his weapons.

He would make that Grounder pay for taking his sister and stabbing Finn. And if he let the anger from his fight with Octavia fuel his actions, well then the Grounder would really suffer for his part in the day's events.


	10. Chapter 10

**You guys are awesome reviewing so fast! I want to apologize for any typos or missing words you spot from time to time. I type really fast and I get all excited so I miss little errors. Sorry if that ever distracts from the story.**

**Part X.**

Clarke stood just outside the drop ship, watching the clouds crash together and the skies darken ominously. The rain had begun to pour and the wind was playing wild games with the trees in the distance.

Raven was still working on the connection to the Ark so Clarke had stepped out to take a breather before performing what would be her biggest medical attempt ever. It had to be that on this day a storm would roll in and complicate everything. The drop ship was large enough to house all of the 100, so Clarke had asked Monroe and some other guards to gather all the camp into the drop ship. It made the air humid and heavy, but it was a necessity.

Anyone left outside could suffer from the effects of the storm and being crushed by a falling tree was not desirable by any means. She hadn't seen Bellamy enter the drop ship but when she asked Octavia, the brunette rolled her eyes and said she didn't know and didn't care. Clarke turned to Monroe, but if the girl knew (which Clarke suspected she did) she didn't say.

"Hey, Griffin." A soft voice broke through her thoughts.

"Jaha." She answered in the same soft tone.

"You okay?"

"I don't know."

"That sounds like a problem."

"One I can't deal with right now. I have someone bleeding out on a table and laughingly adequate medical supplies. I've never done this type of surgery before since I didn't get to complete my apprenticeship when I was confined in a solitary room. I might kill Finn because I don't know what I'm doing. On top of that, a crazy storm is rolling in and my boyfriend is out there somewhere. He didn't bother telling me where." The words rushed out and Wells waited a beat for her to take a deep breath before speaking.

"That's nothing, Griffin."

"Is that supposed to be funny?"

"No, it's supposed to be inspiring."

"I think you've failed."

"Wait for it. Clarke, you're the bravest person I know and the smartest. You didn't officially become a doctor and so what? There is no one else on Earth who can do this. You're qualified and you're dedicated. That has to be enough. You saved Jasper's life when everyone had given up on him. Now you're going to save Finn's."

"What if I can't communicate with my mom?"

"Then you'll find a way to do it alone."

"You sound so sure." She mused with less faith.

"I am. As for your missing boyfriend… I hope he doesn't bring more problems back with him."

"You and me both." She muttered.

"Clarke!" Raven's voice rang out.

"Showtime." She whispered.

"Make it a good one."

She squeezed his hand gratefully and walked through the tarp and curtains to enter the dim space of the medical bay.

"It's your mom." Raven said.

Clarke stared at the radio and heard static mixed with the familiar voice of her mother. A voice that had once sung her songs about crashing tides and stars in the sky. A voice that had comforted her as a child. But then Clarke remembered that voice had betrayed her father and got him floated and her eyes hardened.

"Octavia, get me something to sterilize the needles with."

"Monty created something he calls moonshine. It's alcohol with the taste of battery acid."

"So it's strong?"

"No bacteria will survive it."

"Good, get it."

Octavia nodded and disappeared from the drop ship. Clarke stood behind Raven and finally addressed the Ark.

"Mom, it's me. I need your help."

"Clarke!"

"One of our people was wounded by Grounders. I have a deep wound with an object protruding from it. How should I proceed?"

Her mother's response was interrupted by the unmistakable baritone of Chancellor Jaha.

"Clarke, this is the chancellor. Are you telling me there are survivors on the ground?"

"Yes, the Earth is inhabitable. Others have been here for what seems like many years."

"That's good news. Clarke… how is my son?"

Clarke glanced around the room until her eyes met Wells.

"Alive. Chancellor, I need to be blunt. All the politics will have to be set aside for later. I need to talk to my mother."

"I understand. We will continue this."

"Describe the wound, from its length to its position on the body." Dr. Griffin's voice became rational and calculating, the voice of a respected medic.

Raven noticed Clarke sounded the same as she responded to her mother's questions.

"Okay, we're going to do some research and when we get back to you, the operation can begin. Do you have a sterile needle and suture kit?"

Octavia came in with the moonshine and Clarke gestured for her to clean the needles.

"Yes. I also have bandages and gauze. I'd like to have morphine or a simple sedative, but I guess that's a luxury we'll live without."

"Here." Octavia held out the moonshine and Clarke sterilized her hands, wrinkling her nose at the smell of the liquid.

"Monty is quite the brewer. Sterilize your hands and bring me the medical thread for when I sew the wound."

Octavia busied herself with setting up what Clarke would need as Clarke stood before Finn's motionless figure, her gaze fixed on the hilt of the blade sticking out of his body.

"Clarke, tell me you can do this." Raven pleaded and Clarke met her anxious gaze with steeled reserve.

"I can do this. Monroe, close the doors. We don't need the wind interfering with the surgery."

"Bellamy isn't back yet." She countered and Clarke glared.

"Bellamy can find somewhere to ride out the storm. I'm the one responsible for Finn's life here. Close the damn doors."

Monroe reluctantly moved to do it but Bellamy chose that moment to sweep in with four guys and a beat up Grounder between them. Bellamy strode forward and was met with a glowering Octavia.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"It's time to get some answers."

"Oh, you mean revenge?" she asked sardonically.

"I mean intel." His eyes narrowed on his sister, but Clarke quickly stepped between them, keeping her sterilized hands raised between them.

"Bellamy, what is this?"

"It's about to be an interrogation, Princess."

The nickname didn't sound playful this time.

"This is not who we are." She whispered.

"Clarke, I think we're ready." Her mother's voice broke through the tension between the leaders.

Bellamy's eyes flickered to the source of the voice, seeing the active radio. His crimes floated before him and that was a path he didn't want to explore in the pressure of the drop ship with the whole camp watching.

"It is now." He finally replied, bounding up the ladder to the second floor of the drop ship where his interrogation would begin.

Octavia instantly followed him and though Clarke wanted to do the same and shake some sense into Bellamy, she couldn't. For one, she had Finn's life to save. For another, Bellamy played a role in the little charade of the camp and as the leader he was ruthless and cold, not the Bellamy she saw in the privacy of their tent. She supposed she played a similar role, but she didn't dwell on it as her name filtered through the radio's speakers again.

"I'm here. What do I do first?" she asked.

* * *

Clarke cleaned her hands methodically, wiping the blood from her fingers with unnecessary precision. Her mother was still talking, spouting reassuring words to Raven. Finn had woken up in the most painful part of the procedure and it took all Raven and Clarke possessed to keep him still so the latter could remove the weapon from his chest. He had rolled off the table in the jarring movement of the storm-hurricane-outside, but a few of the guys had helped return him to his original position.

Clarke had cleared the floor of everyone but her and Raven. She wasn't sure where Monroe had taken the rest of the camp, possibly to the more removed tents near the edges of the wall, and she didn't care. She had stared at the open wound with blatant fear and only when her mother confirmed that no internal organs had been affected did Clarke close her eyes and thank the heavens.

Raven was worried because Finn was still unconscious and his forehead was hot like he was fevered, contrasting the pallid shade of his face. Dr. Griffin had said it was the strain on the body of the procedure, but he'd recover soon enough.

Clarke couldn't listen to her mother's soothing murmurs anymore. If Raven needed it, then fine, but Clarke wouldn't sit there and hear comforting jargon from the woman who abandoned her family in the worst possible moment and then covered it up from Clarke.

"I need a break." She announced and Dr. Griffin stopped talking.

"Clarke, is everything-

"She's gone." Raven said uncomfortably.

"Oh." Abby Griffin sighed and the sound was pained.

Even from thousands of miles in the solar system, Raven could hear Abby's sadness at the emotional disconnect between her and Clarke. Raven didn't understand why and when she posed the question to Octavia, the girl had shrugged.

"_The only one who knows that, apart from Clarke of course, is my brother. And he won't be sharing her secrets anytime soon."_

Raven was curious but not impertinent. She would ask neither Bellamy nor Clarke for the information and she didn't think Dr. Griffin would appreciate any intrusion in family matters. Instead, Raven changed the topic to the quality of food on the Ark and if it had worsened. Abby gave a weak laugh but gripped the new conversation easily. Raven listened to the doctor's story as she dabbed the sweat from Finn's too pale face.

* * *

Octavia sat curled into herself in the back corner of the ship when Clarke ascended to the second floor. Miller had tried to tell her no one was allowed to enter, but one hard glare from Clarke and he'd moved aside easily.

She glanced at Octavia sympathetically but her focus drifted when she saw the state of the Grounder. He was tied from both arms and extended like an old Da Vinci anatomical diagram. Clarke stepped closer, her doctor's eye examining the bruises and bloody cuts along his face. Bellamy had certainly been angry about something. Whatever it was didn't justify _this_.

"Well, if he didn't hate us before, he does now." She said, facing Bellamy now.

"Who cares?" he grabbed her arm and pulled her to the other side of the drop ship where their conversation wouldn't be overheard.

"I do." She shook his hand off. "I care if a human being is held against his will and strung up to serve as a symbol for your machismo and bravado."

The words stung, but Bellamy kept his eyes blank so she wouldn't notice.

"He killed two of our people and injured many more."

"We don't know it was him."

"His kind then. It's all the same."

"No." she said firmly. "It's not."

"You taking his side too then? You, Octavia, and the Grounders against your own people? Sounds fantastic." He said coldly.

"Stop it."

"Stop what?"

"This little tyrant act. I know you think everyone needs you to be this person, but that's not true. You don't have to hurt him to prove you're better or stronger or whatever you seek."

"You think this is about my ego?" he asked, furious she thought so little of him.

"If not that, what?"

"The Grounders want us dead, Clarke. Instead of worrying about his well-being, why don't you worry about our people? The people they're picking off one by one." He took a small leather-backed book from his pants pocket and opened it to a bookmarked page.

Clarke took in the sketch of their camp's wall and then the tally marks of the deceased members of the 100. She shook her head and shut the book.

"Is this supposed to condone your kidnapping? Have you stopped to consider the retaliation the Grounders will have?"

"Relax, Princess. No one saw us take him. This storm screwed with the Grounders too."

"What are you trying to achieve?" she asked.

"I'm trying to keep us alive. Isn't that your main concern?"

"Right now my main concern is keeping us human."

He couldn't hide the hurt in his eyes this time and Clarke's cerulean gaze softened along with her voice.

"Bell, you're making this bigger than it needs to be."

"We're at war, Clarke. If you can't see that, I can't help you."

Before she could respond, Raven's frantic tone was heard from the ladder.

"Clarke! He's seizing!"

Her brow furrowed.

"That can't be possible." She said.

"I thought you finished helping Finn."

"I did. Something's wrong." She rushed to descend the ladder, Octavia choosing to follow her and lend her help.

"Miller, close the hatch." Bellamy ordered and turned back to the Grounder.

The bastard hadn't spoken a word. He didn't seem to understand English and since Bellamy only spoke one language, he didn't know what to do next. He flipped through the Grounder's sketches and froze when he saw a drawing of Octavia, smiling beautifully and innocently. Bellamy threw the book to the floor, surprising Miller and Viktor who jumped slightly.

Despite Clarke's worries about his intents, Bellamy hadn't thought farther than the capture of the Grounder and some well-deserved punches. He hadn't set up a torture program or done anything except tie him up and keep Miller and Viktor watching him. What happened now?

* * *

"Clarke, what's happening to him?" Raven cried out.

"I-I don't know. This shouldn't be…Wait." Clarke rolled Finn to his side so he wouldn't choke on the foamy liquid spilling from his mouth. "Keep him in this position. I'll be back."

Clarke picked up the blade she'd removed from Finn's body and angled it carefully in her hand as she began ascending the ladder again.

"They locked the hatch." Octavia said resentfully.

"Then they'll have to unlock it." Clarke knocked her fist against the hatch forcefully. "Hey! Open up."

Miller's face greeted her again.

"Get the hell out of my way, Miller."

He held his hands up as she brushed past him. Clarke held the knife up in front of the Grounder.

"What's on this? What did you do to the blade?" she demanded.

"What are you talking about?" Bellamy came up behind her.

She turned her head slightly to inform him.

"He poisoned the blade. He knew we'd never be able to save Finn."

"A poison? Hold on, I found these vials in his bag." Bellamy held them out to her and she dropped the bloody blade on the metal crate as she took the vials.

"You'd have to be stupid to carry a lethal poison without the antidote." She examined the vials but the various colors didn't help her. "Which one is it?" she spoke to the Grounder, who watched them unconcernedly.

"Answer the question!" Bellamy ordered.

"Please, tell us." Octavia came up on Clarke's right side and spoke lightly in an attempt to garner his empathy.

"Our friend is dying down there and you can stop it! Please, which is the antidote?" Clarke begged but when he stared blankly at her, she looked up at Bellamy with distress clear in her eyes.

Bellamy saw the strain in Clarke's body and the anguish in the crystalline gaze. She couldn't handle losing the life of a friend and she'd carry that burden with her for the rest of her life. It would haunt her like his past haunted him. He wouldn't allow her to suffer like that. Not because of some Grounder.

"I'll make him talk." He vowed, moving forward.

"Bellamy, no!" Octavia grabbed his arm to stop him.

"He wants Finn to die! Can't you see that?"

"Don't do this! Clarke!" Octavia turned her pleas to the other leader.

Clarke's eyes hadn't left Bellamy's, but at the call of her name she looked at the younger Blake.

"You said it yourself. This is not who we are! Torture is not what we do!"

"Finn will die if he doesn't tell us which vial is the antidote!" Bellamy insisted.

Clarke knew the decision would come from her. Bellamy was asking her for permission and Octavia was begging her to prevent it. Two options. Two people she cared about depending on her answer. Octavia's route meant pacifism and morality and all the pretty pictures she'd once imagined of life on Earth. Bellamy's approach was realism and grey areas and something Clarke wasn't sure she was ready to lose. The choice came easier than she thought.

"Do it."

"No." Octavia whimpered but at Clarke's assent, Miller grabbed Octavia and pushed her to the back of the room where she couldn't intervene. "No!"

Her cry was ignored by the occupants of the room and Clarke stood to one side, clutching the vials and watching Bellamy rip the Grounder's shirt off and acquire a belt from what was once a seat on the ship. It had a large metal clip at the end and Clarke felt sick knowing where the metal would strike.

Bellamy wrapped the belt in one hand and prepared to hit the Grounder. He gave Clarke one final look and she knew he was giving her a way out. But, she had made her decision and now she had to live with it.

She gave him a small nod and then he didn't hesitate to strike the Grounder's bare chest.

Twenty agonizing minutes later, the Grounder had open wounds on his chest and a piece of metal impaled through the palm of his hand, but they still had no antidote.

Clarke had gone on her knees at the Grounder's feet in a show of desperation, but he'd ignored her and Bellamy had hit him harder after that. He was tired. She could see it from her position against the wall. He sat hunched over on the crate, breathing heavily. It was more than the physical exertion, of course, but Clarke couldn't find the words to speak to him.

Octavia had cried out a few times, but Miller and Viktor kept her back.

"What is taking so long?" Raven didn't bother calling out this time and she was jumping up the ladder and rushing to Clarke.

Bellamy looked up at her entrance and Clarke turned to her.

"He stopped breathing!"

"What?" Clarke instantly moved to go back to the med bay, but Raven pushed her back.

"He started again, but next time he might not."

"He won't tell us anything. Finn was poisoned. I need the antidote."

Raven looked over at the bloody Grounder with unrestrained anger. She moved to the corner of the room where she'd plugged in various power cables for the radio and the generator that gave power to the lower level of the ship. She ripped two jumper cables from the generator and touched the tips together, creating an electric current between them.

"What are you doing?" Bellamy asked.

"Showing him something new."

The Grounder had taken a step back and a glimpse of fear was seen in his eyes. Raven was extending the cables to his bare chest when Clarke grabbed her arm.

"Raven, no."

The mechanic turned on her with the cables and Clarke felt more than saw Bellamy move towards her. She gave a slight shake of her head and he stopped where he was.

"Think about what you're about to do." Clarke said.

"He's letting Finn die! He is all I have, Clarke. He's my family." She was sobbing now and Clarke remembered the strong girl who clenched tears back in front of her because she thought it was weak.

The possibility of Finn dying had changed any inhibitions Raven had about public displays of emotion. She was spilling tears and her breathing was choked as sobbed.

"Raven, don't do this." Clarke tried again.

"Answer something for me, Clarke. If it were your boyfriend on that table, foaming at the mouth and gasping for air, would you do it? If he were dying before you and the person responsible was right there, dangling his life by a thread, would you do everything you could to save him? Answer me!"

Clarke swallowed and felt a heaviness inside her. She looked at Bellamy and saw him watching her sadly. They both knew what was coming. Clarke was nothing if not honest and when it came to Bellamy…

"I would do whatever it took to save him." Her voice was broken, wary, but they all heard it.

Raven nodded.

"That's what I thought."

Seconds later the Grounder was screaming in agony as the electricity coursed through his body.

"Stop!" Octavia screamed and the sound was so heartbreaking Raven did just that. "You'll kill him!"

Octavia pushed past Viktor and Miller and grabbed the poisoned blade. Before Bellamy could react, she had sliced into her arm. The Grounder struggled against his bonds and Raven backed away, dropping the cables.

"Octavia, what have you done?" Bellamy asked anxiously.

"He won't let me die." She took the vials from Clarke and knelt at his feet. "Which one is it? This one? No. God." She gasped at the pain as the poison infiltrated her veins directly.

The Grounder tilted his chin at the last vial and Octavia lifted it victoriously.

"Here." She gave it to Raven, who ran down the ladder.

Bellamy tried to help his sister up, but she jerked away from his touch and kept her eyes on the Grounder.

Clarke touched Bellamy's shoulder.

"Bell."

"Not here." He said and she stepped back, knowing their work was not over.

* * *

She'd cleaned her hands of the blood but her skin still felt tainted. It wasn't Finn's blood staining her, though. It was the Grounder's.

Clarke couldn't believe what she'd become. She was a cruel dictator, letting her boyfriend torture people for her. The day had become too much for her. Finn was alive and awake, sharing some private conversation with Raven, but Clarke couldn't even revel in her medical success. After giving Finn the antidote, Dr. Griffin had checked in with them and something had snapped in Clarke. She'd revealed everything to Raven and possibly Finn (though he had been barely conscious then) when she told her mother she was a liar and she'd gotten her father killed. Clarke had ignored her mother's apologies and cut the connection to the Ark right after.

She'd left the drop ship to see that chaos had reigned both inside and out. The tents were in complete disarray and there were branches, leaves, and debris scattered through the camp. Clarke waded through the destruction like a zombie, not really seeing anything in front of her. Eventually, she wandered outside the wall and sunk to the ground against a miraculously standing tree. She stayed there for a long time and would have been content to stay there forever if a pair of arms hadn't lifted her protectively and pulled her against a hard chest.

"Clarke." He said gently. "Time for bed."

"I'm not tired." She protested but her voice was weak.

Bellamy didn't comment on it, but carried her all the way to their tent. Clarke realized she must have been out of it for several hours because the tents had been returned to their usual places and most of the damage to the camp was taken care of. She felt pathetic for laying against a tree while the rest of the 100 were salvaging their home, but she didn't have the energy for anything else.

Bellamy deposited her on their bed and removed her jacket, shirt, pants, and boots, leaving her in her underwear. The air was sticky and humid so they wouldn't need any layers. Besides, Clarke's clothes were still bloodstained, like his, so they were better off in their undergarments until they washed the clothes the next day. Clarke lay under the blanket silently, her vision dazed. She felt Bellamy's body join hers under the covers and didn't protest when he pulled her into his chest so that his arms enveloped her body.

He knew she was processing everything and waited patiently for her to speak first.

"I don't know who I am anymore."

"You're Clarke Griffin, the stubborn but overwhelmingly beautiful princess."

His attempt at lightness was ignored.

"I made you torture him. I watched him bleed and all I could think was it's not working. He still won't tell us what we need. What have I become?" she gasped in horror.

"Hey. Look at me. Clarke, look at me." He repeated and her misty eyes met his.

"You didn't _make_ me do anything. I chose to bring him back here and I chose to torture him for information."

"You turned to me. You asked me if I was okay with it. I could have said no."

He paused.

"Yeah, you could have. But, you and I believed it was necessary. We were trying to save Finn. This wasn't mindless violence and whipping for fun. We did what we had to do."

"At what expense? Our morality? Our humanity?"

"Clarke, who we are and who we have to be to survive are very different things."

"What if we survive this supposed war and whatever else is thrown at us and come out monsters?"

"We won't."

"How do you know that?"

"Because you wouldn't let me get that far. And I wouldn't let you do anything that would scar your soul. It's a careful balance we keep, Princess, but we do it for a reason. I couldn't do this without you. None of it."

She reached up to kiss his lips.

"Neither could I."

"Get some sleep, Princess. This storm is far from over."

She understood his words clearly.

They were connected to the Ark again. They had a Grounder held captive. Octavia probably hated them. Clarke hadn't found a way to forgive her mother and she didn't feel like talking to her again. The medical supplies Raven had brought were already running thin.

Yet, when Bellamy began to stroke her hair and rub her back with his calloused fingertips, Clarke let her eyes fall shut and indulged in Bellamy's warmth and comforting forest scent. It was the only way she could sleep anymore and it was the same for Bellamy.

He didn't think he was capable of making the hard decisions and bearing the brunt of those choices on his own. His sister turned away from him, blamed him for the wrong in her life, and it left an ache in his heart. He had raised her and loved her from the day of her birth, but she seemed to forget all of that at the hands of some Grounder.

With Clarke, he had consistent support and someone who thought he was a good person and a decent man. She didn't agree with everything he did but at the end of the day, she was by his side ready to share the burdens and the tribulations. And unfortunately, they had so many.


	11. Chapter 11

**Because I love you guys, I'm trying to update quickly and catch up with the show. I follow the plot line and just tweak it for the story. It makes it easier. When the show goes on its hiatus, I will start a new story so we'll see how that goes ;)**

**Part XI.**

Raven had worked straight through the night to set up a tent with the radio signal and an old screen ripped from a console in the drop ship. As dawn's rays infiltrated her tent, Raven powered on the screen and adjusted the headsets to check on the video/sound connection. Everything was working properly and when the council woke, they could send the 100 a message through the video screen.

Raven left the newly dubbed Communications Tent and slipped carefully into the bed she shared with her injured boyfriend. Raven couldn't believe he was still with her. She hadn't told Clarke her misgivings about the surgery because there was no one else who could even attempt it, but Raven feared that one slip of the blonde's hands would cut Finn's life short. Of course, it wasn't wise to underestimate Clarke Griffin.

Raven brushed hair off Finn's forehead and pressed a light kiss there. He had been slipping in and out of consciousness, but Clarke said that was normal. His body would recover on its own now that his bloodstream was clean.

After the tension of the moment, Raven was left with the consequences of her actions. They had all seen what she was capable of: Torture. She was willing to lead the Grounder to death if that gave her the antidote to save Finn.

Did that make her a horrible person? Maybe. Yet, as Raven looked down at the boy she'd loved for five years she really didn't give a shit.

* * *

"Clarke!"

Clarke groaned as she heard her name shouted just outside her tent.

"It's not easy being in charge, is it?" Bellamy teased and she resisted the urge to give him the finger because that was beyond childish.

"What is it, Raven?" she asked instead.

"There's someone who wants to talk to you."

"Can it wait?"

"He did wait, but yesterday you promised you'd continue the conversation later."

Clarke sat up, instantly more awake.

"Chancellor Jaha?"

Bellamy stiffened beside her.

"Yeah, he's on the video screen."

"Video screen?" Clarke inquired.

"Okay, this is annoying so I'll just… pop in here." Raven invited herself inside the tent and Clarke pulled the covers up, remembering she was in her underwear.

"Relax, you have nothing I don't have."

Clarke rolled her eyes.

"How did you set up a video screen?"

"Long story short, I found the right cables and a workable adaptor for the screen and made it work because I'm amazing."

"The chancellor asked for me?"

"Yeah, he and the rest of the council are waiting."

Clarke froze. The rest of the council would include her mother. After turning off the radio and cutting her mother's apologies off, she wasn't sure she could see her face to face. Raven realized what was holding the girl back.

"Dr. Griffin isn't part of the council anymore."

Clarke's head snapped up.

"What?"

"She lost her seat when she helped me travel to Earth. Jaha replaced her with some former chancellor lady."

"Diana Sydney."

Raven raised an eyebrow.

"You know her?"

"She was chancellor before Jaha. She lost the position after a training simulation for the Ark repairmen led to the death of thirty five crew members. The next election obviously went to Jaha."

"Anyway, the council is there, but Jaha wants to talk to you personally."

She nodded but didn't get out of the bed.

"What?" Raven asked.

"Uh, can you get out so I can get dressed?"

"Oh, Clarke ever the virtuous princess." She laughed but exited the tent.

Clarke shook her head but finally began dressing for the day. She was tying the laces of her boots when she realized Bellamy had not moved from the bed. It was about time for him to make his rounds of the camp and he wanted to check on the Grounder early as well.

"Bellamy, aren't you coming?"

"To talk to the man I almost killed? No thanks." He replied gruffly.

"I meant out of the tent, but I appreciate the rudeness." She said sarcastically.

"I'm going to the drop ship. Miller gets a break now."

She studied him as he dressed and he felt the fire of her gaze on his back.

"You won't be able to avoid him forever."

"Don't be so sure." He muttered and she sighed.

"I'll see you later."

She left their tent and Bellamy felt a pang of guilt at brushing her off. He knew Clarke meant well and she cared about him more than anyone else, but he hadn't come to grips with everything he'd done and he wasn't too keen on facing the chancellor's hard stare and booming voice. Bellamy had his regrets, but he pushed them to the back of his mind as he concentrated on keeping Octavia alive and seeing Clarke thrive every day. Eventually, compartmentalizing would fail, though, and he sensed it was coming sooner rather than later.

Bellamy knew if the chancellor and the council wanted to speak to Clarke, who they assumed was the leader on the ground, it was to finalize plans for the Ark's permanent travel to Earth. The thought of Jaha and Kane and Shumway on the ground, guns poised and ready to take out the rogue who shot the chancellor, worried him. Bellamy didn't want to die. Not yet. There was so much to be done on Earth and so many people he'd become responsible for.

Bellamy, alongside Clarke, had become the leader on the ground and the 90 or so lives in the camp were in their hands. A part of him wanted to run away and leave it all behind, but he knew he could never do that. He would never leave Clarke. His sister wouldn't mind if he left. He had raised her well and she could forge her own path in the camp. Without him, she wouldn't be in danger anyway. Clarke was different.

She had been a traitor to the Ark with crimes listed as treason and conspiracy, crimes that led to a certain floating. He remembered how Commander Quincy had spoken of her life, like it was disposable waste for the Ark. Bellamy didn't trust that the council wouldn't try and take her out. Clarke was vocal about her beliefs and ideologies. What if the council committed some other wrong and Clarke found out? She wouldn't hesitate to tell the public and there would be no other pardon or opportunity for her.

The answer came to him then. He wouldn't leave the camp on his own, but he would take Clarke with him.

* * *

The conversation with the council, primarily with Chancellor Jaha, had not been particularly enlightening though they had pointed out a supply depot that had the potential to offer shelter or supplies. Clarke marked it on her map and thanked the chancellor. They had discussed the conditions on the ground and all the uninteresting details of the area. She'd painted a vivid picture of the Grounders and the physical environment of Earth and was pleased to note that the chancellor was engrossed in her words and genuinely valued her opinions.

"I want to thank you for all you've done down there, Clarke. We are all proud of you."

Clarke's eyes fell from the screen to her now clenched fists. She couldn't say what she really wanted to say because that would remove any chance of reconciliation for the 100. She wanted to curse and scream at the council for sentencing them to early deaths, not only on the Ark but on the Earth. She also wanted to remind them that she was one of their main targets after revealing the lifespan of the Ark. She was locked up for treason and that wasn't a crime they took lightly.

Clarke didn't say any of that because she knew her role. She was a diplomat. A guide. A healer.

"I appreciate it, Chancellor. If you'll excuse me, I must prepare for my trip."

She exited the tent, calling for an Arcadia boy named Dax whose mother was up next for the family reunions. Wells had been avoiding his father and Clarke would have joked about her own game of hide and seek with her mother, but she suddenly felt exhausted. It wasn't physical fatigue but a mental drowsiness.

Why couldn't things be easier for them? Hadn't they gone through enough in their young lives? There were some kids there 13 years old who already knew what the inside of a jail cell looked like and kids not much older who were orphans. The truth was delinquents were made not born and who they were was a product of life on the Ark and the people who brought them into that world.

She made her way to her tent to pack her bag with the map, a compass, a small knife, and enough rations for a long day. When she was finished, she left her bag on the table and went to find Bellamy. He may have been acting like an ass, but he was still the person she trusted most and for an expedition as important as this one, she would need him to accompany her.

She found him in the drop ship, shoulders tense as he stared down his little sister. Octavia was bitter, clearly, and Clarke bet Bellamy had prohibited her presence on the second floor of the drop ship. He had assigned Grounder duty exclusively to Miller, which left no room for Octavia to intervene because Miller was the model soldier, loyal only to his commander who happened to be Bellamy.

"Bellamy." She said and he whirled on her, the irritation visible on his face.

"No, I will not talk to Jaha. Not now, not ever." He growled and started pushing past her to leave.

"Hey." She grabbed his arm to stop him. "That's not why I'm here."

"What then?" his voice had softened from her light touch, but his eyes were still guarded, though she didn't understand why.

"The Ark found a supply depot not too far from here, which could mean valuable supplies to help us through the winter."

"Like what?"

"If we're lucky some medical supplies or non-perishable foods. I don't know, but it's worth looking into."

His brow furrowed in thought. This would be the perfect opportunity to leave before it was too late. Clarke wouldn't like the secrecy or the idea, but once they were away from the camp, he was sure he could convince her to see his way. It wasn't like she was the number one fan of the Ark. The only person she loved on the Ark had betrayed her, after all.

"I'll get my pack and meet you in ten at the gate."

"I have to check on Finn, but I'll be there."

She left the drop ship and Bellamy gazed at his sister's defiant form. She refused to meet his eyes and instead glared at the wall. When he was gone, maybe she'd find happiness. She blamed him for her troubles, didn't she?

"I'm leaving, Octavia."

"Good riddance."

He nodded sadly.

"Right."

He walked away from her and couldn't help looking back one more time to remember the little girl he'd once given pony rides to and whose hair he'd clumsily braided as she giggled. Octavia wasn't that girl anymore. He wasn't quite sure who she was these days.

* * *

"How are you feeling?" Clarke asked Finn as she changed the bandages.

"Sore."

"It'll pass."

Finn sighed and Raven shot him a sympathetic glance.

"When will he be back on his feet?" the brunette asked.

"He can try walking intermittently throughout the day, but not for long periods of time. We do not want the stitches to pull and risk infection."

"Got it. Hey, where are you going?" Raven had perceived from the packed bag on Clarke's shoulder, the girl wasn't lounging around camp that day (not that she ever did).

"The Ark found a nearby supply depot. Might be useful."

"How long will you be gone?"

"The whole day most likely. I'd appreciate it if you kept an eye out on the camp. I know you're watching over Finn, but I trust you to maintain a semblance of order."

"Nah, I'll set the place on fire and throw a party while you're away." She joked.

"Be serious, please."

"I'll hold down the fort. I promise." Raven said with a straight face.

"You're traveling how many miles on your own?" Finn inquired.

"No, not on my own." She answered. "With Bellamy."

"Ooh, you and your boyfriend alone in the woods. No one to stop you from losing all your clothes unexpectedly." Raven sing-songed.

"Shut up, Raven." Clarke glared and Finn made a face.

"I'm still in the room."

"We see you, sweetie." Raven patted him on the head condescendingly. "Have fun!"

"This isn't a vacation; it's a supplies run."

"If you say so."

Clarke knew arguing with Raven was pointless so she gave the couple a wave over her shoulder and made her way to the gate. Bellamy was there, throwing rations into his pack as he glanced over his shoulder.

"That's a lot of rations." She commented, seeing his pack full of the collected and bagged nuts.

"A lot can happen in a day."

If the words were supposed to mean something else, she didn't get it. Clarke took the map out of her bag and exited the camp, listening to Bellamy's heavier footsteps behind her. She didn't see him glance around the bustling camp or watch his sister peek out of the drop ship with a tenderness he liked to hide.

* * *

The moment Bellamy and Clarke left camp, Octavia scurried up the ladder and found the Grounder, head bowed, but alone. She sidled up to him, grabbing a damn rag to clean the blood and sweat from his chest and hands before moving to his face.

"Thank you." A low voice mumbled and Octavia's hand froze in mid-air.

"Did-did you just… speak?"

"Octavia." He rasped and her lip parted in surprise.

"You know my name. That's not really fair. I have nothing to call you."

"Lincoln."

"Lincoln? You saved my life, Lincoln. More than once. Why did you do that?"

His green eyes studied her.

"Beautiful."

Color rose on her lightly tanned skin and she smiled.

"Thank you. I want to apologize for what happened to you. My brother's a dick."

Lincoln chuckled briefly and she reveled in the gravelly sound.

"You've understood me the whole time, haven't you? I knew it."

"Octavia!"

The male voice had changed from pleasantly low to demandingly rough and she saw Miller appear on the second level. It figured that Bellamy had posted a guard on Lincoln.

"I'm cleaning the wounds, Miller."

"Bellamy said you weren't allowed up here."

"I was only-

"You need to leave unless you want to witness a rehash of yesterday's interrogation."

"Fine, I'm leaving." She glared, brushing roughly past the tall boy.

She had to find a way to release Lincoln from the bonds. If he stayed in camp, Bellamy would kill him. If not by his own hand through Miller or Viktor or Monroe. Her brother had accumulated loyal dogs who barked on command and acted thoughtlessly. If she wanted an escape, she'd have to plan it carefully.

* * *

Monty was floating on a cloud. He lay back and sighed, popping a wondrous nut into his mouth.

"I want to give the Earth a giant hug." He declared and his best friend leaned over him.

"You look weird."

"I feel weird, Jaz." He winked and threw a nut into his mouth again.

"I gotta pee." Jasper announced before leaving their shared tent.

Why was Monty so happy? He should be on the lookout for Grounders and spears. An attack could come from any direction at any time.

"Oh my God." He whimpered, seeing a skull mask in his peripheral version. "Stay away!" he shouted, alerting the attention of the kids nearby. "Don't kill me!"

The Grounder laughed and moved closer as Jasper stumbled backwards.

"No!" he screamed and a small crowd formed to watch him concernedly.

They would have taken it upon themselves to throw the lunatic out of camp, but Octavia had heard the shouts and recognized her friend's voice so she came running.

"Hey, lower your voice. What's wrong, Jasper?" she asked kindly.

"The Grounders. They're everywhere. They're here to kill me."

"What Grounders?"

"Don't you see them? There. There." He pointed a shaky finger in the distance.

Octavia followed his gaze to a tree and deduced that Jasper was not all there.

"Hey, buddy, what have you eaten today?"

"Just nuts." He crunched down on said food, still watching the tree warily.

"Huh." Octavia looked at the brown nuts in contemplation.

"I need to tell you I love you before they kill me. I love you a lot, okay? I don't want to die today, though."

Octavia's heart went out to the gangly boy. She had suspected his affection ran deep, but she hadn't expected him to admit he love her. She knew the nuts he'd consumed were affecting his state of mind, but the confession was true nonetheless.

"You're my very dear friend, Jasper. I'm going to help you. Here." She grabbed a stick from the ground and he took it skeptically.

"A stick?"

"No! It's an Anti-Grounder Stick. If you hold it, they can't get to you. They'll stay away."

"That does make sense."

"Exactly. Stay here and hold onto that stick. You'll be fine." She sat him on a large boulder and went to the nut stores to grab a bag for Miller.

Jasper had provided her with the escape route she'd been hoping for. If the nuts did contain a hallucigenic property, the camp would be succumbing to the illusions soon enough. Octavia hadn't had breakfast yet, meaning her systems were free of the nuts' effects, but she didn't think anyone else was in the same boat.

* * *

Dax Nicholls had only ever had his mother. He had been an awkwardly framed child with average intelligence and an average skill set in an average class with the necessary income of a family of two. His mother loved him with all she had and encouraged him to gain success with his schoolwork so he could become a mechanic and be responsible for the workings of the Ark.

"_Then you'll be important to us all, Dax! My little mechanic."_

And he'd tried. He really had, but the required courses to become a mechanic were insanely difficult and he would burn his hands in the mandatory Chemistry class. There was no way he'd pass the semester much less pursue a career in the field. His mother was set on her son becoming a mechanic, though, and Dax only lived to please her. His father had hurt her so much and left her without joy or possessions. She had raised Dax by tooth and nail.

Dax vowed to do whatever he had to do to get the freaking mechanic certification, including murdering his Chemistry teacher when he tried to give him a failing grade.

He didn't think the idea through and instead of fixing any future for himself, he was confined and the date for his trial was set for two months away on his 18th birthday. He was fortunate his name slipped in with several others for the Earth mission.

Dax wasn't bright by any standards, but he knew a deal when he saw one. When he sat in front of the video screen that morning, expecting his teary eyed mother, he was met with a stern guard.

"_My name is Commander Shumway. You are Dax Nicholls."_

"_Where's my mom?"_

"_Not here. If you wish to see her alive ever again, you'll do exactly as I say. Your file lists you as a murderer, Dax, is that true?"_

"_I did it for my mom." He said stubbornly and the commander laughed._

"_Then this won't be a problem for you. Let me make myself perfectly clear. You are going to get rid of my loose ends and I will pardon you for your crimes and get your mother on the first drop ship to Earth."_

"_You-you would do that?"_

"_As long as you keep your end of the bargain."_

"_Who's the target?" Dax's dull features hardened._

"_Bellamy Blake. As the new commander, I can't afford to leave rebellious hotheads around. Kill Bellamy Blake or I kill your mother."_

The feed had gone dark, but Dax was sure of what he had to do. Kill Bellamy Blake. Kill Bellamy Blake.

* * *

They were a few feet from the given location of the bunker and Clarke was tired of the uncomfortable silence between them. Bellamy was content to follow her lead in silence, but Clarke was fed up.

"What's wrong with you?" she demanded and he stopped to look at her.

"Excuse me?"

"Don't play dumb, Bellamy. You dismiss me this morning at the mention of the council and you agree to come with me to, what? Serve as my mute stalker? That's certainly all it feels like."

His eyes narrowed.

"I shot the chancellor, Clarke. Jaha will not show me mercy or leniency when he comes down. Sorry if I'm not as enthused by your conference calls with the people who want me and my people dead. They were looking forward to your execution, Princess, or have you forgotten?"

Her eyes blazed.

"I'm not an idiot. I know exactly what they've done, but I also know what I have to do. Picking fights with the council members won't get us anywhere. Like it or not, they're coming down here soon. You can't avoid Jaha forever."

"I can try."

She opened her mouth to argue, but he held up a hand.

"If we split up, we can cover more ground. You said the depot is up ahead. There must be a door somewhere. Stay within shouting distance." He added before walking away.

She sighed but went the opposite way. If she'd though dealing with Raven was hard, she'd obviously forgotten the extent of Bellamy's obtuse resolution.

As Bellamy combed through twigs and leaves in search of the door, he wondered what Octavia was doing. She wouldn't know he'd left for good until the rest of the camp realized their leaders weren't coming back from the supply run. He wondered if she'd care.

They'd been so close on the Ark. Bellamy had become more of a father figure than just a brother. Their mother was a wonderful woman, but the strain of losing her husband and keeping her daughter a secret had taken its toll. She snapped easily at Octavia and criticized Bellamy's daily decisions. That was why the Blake siblings became a cohesive unit, relying on each other for small joys and affection.

Earth, however, had changed that. Octavia no longer depended on Bellamy. She had friends and love interests and space to roam. At this point, Bellamy would make things worse for his sister and when the council arrived, Octavia would be tied in as his accomplice and executed with him. If he was gone, she was truly free and that was all she seemed to want anyway.

"Bellamy!"

Clarke's voice halted his efforts as she must have found the door herself.

"I think it's rusted shut." She grunted in effort, her small hands pulling at the iron handle.

"Yeah. Watch your foot." He cautioned, taking the metal hammer from his belt and breaking the oxidize padlock to open the door.

She started down first, distributing flashlights and taking in the decrepit look of the depot.

"You really think this place hasn't been touched since the war?" Bellamy voiced their concerns.

"A girl can dream."

Ten minutes later, they had total of one skeleton and some crates of emergency blankets. In other words, a whole lot of _nothing_.

"How about canteens or a decent freaking tent?" Bellamy growled, kicking over a water bogged canister.

Clarke wanted to offer some sort of reassurance but Bellamy was crouched over something on the floor laughing excitedly.

"What is it?" she walked over and he grinned, holding up an automatic rifle.

* * *

Raven wasn't sure if sexual intercourse was against Clarke's orders for a healing patient, but she'd been celibate eleven months and that was _too_ long. When Finn spilled water on his shirt, she didn't hesitate to remove the wet material… and his pants… and his boxers.

An hour later they both lay sated on their bed, cuddled together but semi-careful of Finn's stitches. The moment was promptly broken by a babbling Monty crashing inside their tent.

"Monty!" Finn exclaimed, moving the covers over Raven's nude form.

The boy muttered something about lost tides and failed laws of physics before scampering back out. His exit was followed by screams, hysteric giggles, and strange moans.

"What's going on out there?" Finn questioned.

"I'd better find out." She pulled her clothes on and opened the flap of their tent. "Oh, crap."

Various teenagers were missing clothes and some were crying in both ecstasy and sadness. Someone was making obnoxious animal sounds and one tall redheaded girl was acting solely like a robot.

"What's happening?"

Raven turned back to Finn with wide eyes.

"I have no freaking idea."

* * *

Clarke loaded the ammunition in her gun and snapped it into place.

"Ready to be a badass, Princess?" Bellamy sauntered over to her, popping rationed nuts into his mouth.

She scoffed.

"I don't need a rifle in my hands to be a badass, Bellamy."

"It certainly helps." He winked.

"I'm not going to fight you on bringing guns back to camp. I know we need them, but that doesn't mean I have to like it."

"Fair enough. Aim at the X on the cloth." He pointed.

"Do I just hold it up to my shoulder?"

"Yeah." He moved behind her, adjusting her stance with his hands and chest pressed against her back. "Uh-yeah. Yeah, watch how it's done." He got out half-stammering.

Clarke hid a smile, taking great pleasure in a flustered Bellamy Blake. He got into position, holding out his strong arms as he fired. Or tried to fire because two attempts later, there were no bullets leaving the chamber.

"Still watching…" she mocked.

He glared at the smug blonde.

"My bullets are duds. Try yours."

She stepped in front of him, raising the gun to where he'd indicated and released the trigger. The bullet zoomed to the right corner of the X.

"Whoa." Clarke breathed. "That… was amazing. Am I a bad person for feeling that way?" she turned to Bellamy, who was grinning proudly.

"You're a fighter, Clarke. That's all that means. Come on, aim at the center of the target."

"No, I shouldn't waste any more bullets."

"You need to practice."

"And we _need_ to talk about having guns around camp. Do we have enough bullets for the weapons to make a difference? Who had access to the guns? The only people I trust to handle weapons-apart from us-are Raven and Finn."

"They'd be adequate leaders. Miller is valuable. I left him in charge of the Grounder. The others follow him."

Clarke frowned at his statement.

"Why would Finn and Raven be adequate leaders? We-"she stopped.

The nonchalant expression on Bellamy's face froze as Clarke looked at his full bad and remembered how easily he'd left camp that morning, leaving it to her to put Raven in as interim leader.

"That's why you've been acting weird all day. You're gonna run!"

"What else can I do, Clarke? Jaha's going to kill me or lock me away with the damn Grounder, do you think I'll give him that satisfaction?"

She felt helpless staring up at his stern features in the darkness of the run-down depot.

"So you're just gonna leave Octavia?"

"Octavia hates me. She'll be fine." He sniffed unconcernedly.

"And what about me, Bellamy?" she felt tears creeping into her voice. "You were going to leave me behind too?"

"No!" he grabbed her hands. "I have enough rations for the both of us. I would never leave you, Clarke."

She took comfort in his words, but the idea of abandoning the camp didn't sit well with her.

"Bell, we can't do this. I-I won't leave everyone to fend for themselves against the Grounders and the Ark and who knows what else."

Bellamy's jaw tightened.

"I'm leaving."

"I'm not." Her voice was small.

"I need some air." He spat.

She let a sob wrack through her body after he'd left. She couldn't lose Bellamy, but she couldn't leave the camp. She felt responsible for the 100 and she knew Bellamy did too. He had to realize he was wrong.

A wave of nausea swept over her and Clarke's brow furrowed at the strange sensations in her body. The ground seemed to spin and when she looked down at the gun in her hands, the material melted and bent into pieces.

"Cool." She remarked.

"Clarke."

Her head snapped up as she dropped the fractured pieces of her gun. She hadn't heard that voice in a long time, but how was it possible?

"Clarke, honey, you have to listen to me."

"Daddy?" she gasped, following a strange glow deeper into the depot.

She entered a blindingly bright room designed like her old prison cell. There on the bed sat her dad.

"Come here, sunshine." He pulled her into him and she cried at the familiar embrace.

"Dad, I don't know what to do. Everyone's counting on me and I'm trying… but it's _so hard_. I'm being pulled in every direction. Which is the right one?"

"Clarke, your mother and I raised you to be a leader and a healer. Your decisions will affect those around you, that's certain, whether that's in a positive way or a negative one is yet to be determined."

"Mom betrayed you. Her decisions got you killed!"

He rubbed her cheek affectionately.

"We can't live trapped in the past, honey."

"She doesn't deserve forgiveness, if that's what you're referring to." The tears falling from her face were consistent and though they blurred her vision, she didn't raise a hand to wipe them away.

"Forgiveness isn't about what people deserve. We're human, Clarke. We all make mistakes we need help recovering from."

She thought of her mother and Raven's mistakes and the lives they'd thought they'd lost, but her last thought was about Bellamy. He punished himself for his mistakes and all she wanted was to make him see his worth.

"It's time for me to go now."

"Wait, Dad, don't leave me again." She begged, but when she looked over he was gone and the room was dark once more.

Footsteps came up behind her and she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Dad?"

"You're insane." Dax Nicholls remarked before hitting her in the head with the rifle he'd acquired.

* * *

Octavia grinned as she saw Miller join the hazy mob of people near the fire pit experiencing the high of their lives. Whatever they were seeing must have been interesting, but Octavia had no time to dwell. Lincoln wouldn't be guarded anymore and she had to act fast if she wanted to free him.

She rushed into the drop ship and up the ladder until she saw him.

"Lincoln, you need to get out of here."

She began cutting the ropes and untying his hands but paused when one large hand cupped her chin. Before she could react, he kissed her deeply, breathing in the smell of her hair and skin as he tasted her sweet lips.

"Beautiful." He repeated when they pulled apart breathing heavily.

"You need to leave camp. If you stay, they'll kill you." She whispered.

He stroked her hair.

"Okay."

She pushed a fresh shirt and hoodie into his hands, items she'd grabbed off the dry clothesline.

"Keep your head down. Not that it matters. The camp's whacked out on nuts."

"Goji nuts. That's what you gave my guard, isn't it? They produce virtual images and illusions." He explained as she led him out of the drop ship.

Octavia glanced around and prayed no one would recognize Lincoln and make matters worse.

**The remainder of episode 1x08 will be in the next part!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Part XII.**

Bellamy was huddled over, his hands on his knees and his breathing shallow. His head was spinning and he felt ready to vomit, though he wasn't sure why. He'd only eaten two portions of nuts and downed some water.

"Bellamy Blake."

His head snapped up, nearly giving him whiplash, at the sound of the commanding voice. He stood slowly and turned his body to see Chancellor Jaha with his arms crossed over his stomach.

"H-how are you here? You're up on the Ark."

"On the Ark? You mean the place you shot me and left me for dead?"

Bellamy gulped but met his stare.

"I did what I had to do."

"To protect Octavia?"

"Yes."

"How pathetic. Using your sister to excuse your crimes, your selfishness, and your evils."

"Are you here to kill me?" he kept his voice even, though the idea of losing his life terrified him.

The Chancellor gave a dark chuckle, uncrossing his arms so Bellamy could see blood gushing from the bullet wound.

"Why would I do that? I've survived your treachery and killing you won't give me any kind of pleasure. No, I want you very alive and aware of what's coming."

"What are you talking about?"

The Chancellor grinned.

"I didn't come alone, Bellamy." He extended his hands and two delicate hands gripped him.

Chancellor Jaha laughed as Bellamy's eyes widened. There was his sister, the healthy bronze to her skin gone and an unearthly pallor ghosting her skin. She held his left hand with hers. The girl holding the chancellor's right hand was Clarke and Bellamy felt his heart lurch at the sight. She was still beautiful-she'd always be so- but the fairness of her skin had been overshadowed by the taunt of death. Her cerulean eyes were blackened and blank and her golden hair was dull and matted to her head. They were zombies.

"N-no. This isn't real." Bellamy gasped.

"I assure you," the chancellor said "it is very real."

He was suddenly right in front of him, shoving him roughly to the ground. Bellamy lay there, stunned and gaping at the walking corpses closing in on the area. It was the rest of the 100. He recognized Finn, Raven, Jasper, Monty, Wells, Miller, and the other delinquents.

"You let us die. You failed us. You're a murderer. You're a killer. That's all you are." The mob of dead hissed at him and his chest tightened in horror and remorse.

"Please." Bellamy begged, kneeling at Chancellor Jaha's feet. "Kill me. I deserve it. I can't go on without them. I don't want to live if they don't." he stared past the man at his sister and then at the love of his life.

"You deserve nothing but pain, Bellamy Blake. Death is too kind." The chancellor kicked him back to the ground.

"Please." His voice cracked as he suppressed sobs.

"You have to live. You have to fight and go on alone. That will be your punishment. When you die, you'll die just like this. With no one by your side. They'll all be gone."

"I don't want this!" Bellamy shouted.

"Then I've made the right decision." The chancellor laughed, turning and grabbing Clarke and Octavia's hands again.

Bellamy felt the weight of a familiar handgun in his pocket and pulled it out. It was the gun he'd been given by Shumway to kill Jaha. He released the safety, aimed at the chancellor's back and… was left staring unseeingly at nothing with his hand poised in empty space.

"You're all fucking insane." Dax Nicholls said, pointing the rifle at Bellamy's chest.

Bellamy, still disoriented from the hallucination, could only blink up at his future killer.

"Put the gun down, Dax."

"Clarke." He whispered breathlessly, his eyes falling on his brave princess.

"This has nothing to do with you. It isn't personal and if you get the hell out of here, I'll spare you." Dax said and Clarke scoffed.

"It was personal the moment you knocked me unconscious with the butt of your gun. The fact that you're trying to kill my boyfriend adds to the effect, don't you think? Last chance." She warned but Dax was moving his finger to the trigger.

She shot first or she would have if the bullets hadn't been duds. As it was she only had time to drop the gun and jump being a tree as Dax's shots exploded through the forest.

"No!" Bellamy growled, jumping at the tall boy and knocking him and the rifle to the floor.

Bellamy was still half-dazed from his traumatic hallucination and Dax was strong and fresh for a fight. Bellamy found his head hitting hard earth once more with Dax's hands around his throat. From the corner of his eye he saw a fallen bullet laying mercifully close to him. He stretched his hand out desperately, feeling the panic set in when oxygen stopped entering his body.

"Get the hell off him!" Clarke had returned, punching Dax from behind.

Dax grabbed the fallen gun and rammed her in the gut so she wheezed and crumpled to the ground. He dismissed the girl (he'd finish her off after the Blake asshole) and turned to press the rifle to Bellamy's throat. Unfortunately for Dax, Clarke's intervention had given Bellamy enough time to grab the bullet and lunge up to insert the metal into Dax's windpipe. Blood gushed from the side of his throat and Bellamy watched the life fade from his attempted assassin.

"Bell." Clarke groaned and he ignored the pain in his body to tend to hers.

He crawled to her and pulled her with him to lay back against a nearby tree, both panting heavily. Clarke determined she had several bruised ribs and cuts, but no serious damage and with her body propped against the tree and Bellamy's right side, she was more preoccupied with the silent boy next to her. That was how they worked, always worrying about the other instead of themselves.

"You're okay." She spoke softly and in between heavy gasps for air as her body tried to regain normalcy.

"No, I'm not."

She knew he wasn't referring to any physical wounds, but from the sorrow written in his features she knew he would tell her what he meant.

"My mother raised me to be good, Clarke, to be a better man than what I've chosen to be. I'm a monster. All I do is hurt people."

"Bellamy." She whispered his name pleadingly but he wasn't finished.

"If she knew what I'd become, she'd be so disappointed. I've let my sister down. I'm constantly letting you down. I'm just no good. The camp would be a better place if I left it."

Clarke had had enough.

"Hey!"

He seemed startled at her outcry as his brown eyes met her intensely blue orbs.

"You saved my life today and you've saved my life more than once. Bellamy, I love you but above that I _need_ you. We all need you. We wouldn't have survived this place if it weren't for you."

He dropped his gaze to his hands and Clarke forced her tired body closer to his so their legs intertwined and she could grab his hands in hers.

"You want forgiveness? Fine, I'll give it to you, you're forgiven, okay? Bellamy, the past has to stay in the past. You've made mistakes because you're human, but that doesn't make you any less of a man. You are always trying to protect your sister and care for me and keep the camp alive and that is what makes you who you are! And who you are is not a monster. Far from it." She moved one hand to his cheek and tilted his head to ensure he was meeting her stare. "Please don't leave me. Don't run away. You have to face it."

"Like you faced your mom?"

She bit her lip and her blue eyes misted over. He regretted the words the second they left his mouth, but he couldn't help it. Clarke was an overwhelming presence and the ease with which she was granting him forgiveness and hope was incredible. He didn't deserve it and she had to see that.

"You're right… I don't want to face my mom. I don't want to face any of it. But… we don't have a choice." Her words were passionate. "You and I are responsible for other people and our decisions may not always be right but they're necessary. We do what we think is right. What else can we do?"

He sighed.

"Jaha will kill me when he comes down."

"We'll figure something out." She said firmly.

"Can we figure out later?"

She saw the weariness in his face and nodded.

"Whenever you're ready, Bell. I'm here." She shifted so her head was on his chest and her arms and legs were tangled with his, keeping her body positioned so her ribs didn't jostle from their breathing.

* * *

Finn wasn't crazy. More importantly, he wasn't high on nuts, so when he saw the face of the Grounder who'd stabbed him he knew it was no illusion. For a moment he felt fear, but the moment passed when the other man simply watched him and disappeared into the forest through the gate that was momentarily unguarded as he and Raven organized the slowly sobering camp.

Finn glanced around and his attention fell on Octavia who was leaning against the wall and staring out at the forest wistfully. He wasn't surprised she had played a part in releasing the Grounder. Raven had reluctantly informed him on the torture of the Grounder and the role she'd had in it. He felt horrified a human had suffered like that, but he hadn't said the same to Raven, who had watched him with bated breath and doleful eyes. He couldn't hold it against his girlfriend, who resolutely believed she had done it to save his life. Still, Finn believed in peace and harmony. He had no interest in hurting the man who had defended himself by stabbing his supposed enemy.

"You are the most beautiful broom in a broom closet of brooms." Raven repeated to Connor, who smiled goofily and swiped at her ponytail. "Okay, back to your tent."

He stumbled away and Raven laughed, turning to Finn.

"I think that was the last of 'em."

"Yeah." He answered distractedly, his mind following the Grounder's exit.

"Finn, is everything all right?"

"I'm fine. I think it's residual pain. The wound aches." He lied easily and she stepped closer to embrace him.

"I'm sorry I didn't get my shit together and let you go out there alone."

"Hey, this is not your fault. You were entitled to a breakdown, Rae."

She giggled into his chest.

"Gee, thanks for labeling it so nicely."

"Sorry." He shrugged and she hugged him tighter.

"I can't lose you, Finn, I hope you know that."

"I know." He acknowledged, hating himself for lying to the perfect girl in front of him.

She wouldn't understand, though. She was so much like Bellamy, fixated on strength and power, not afraid to launch into uncharted territories to engage in bloody wars if that's what it came down to. Finn identified more with Clarke. They were peacemakers, more interested on assuaging tensions and forming a treaty.

It was like a light bulb went off in his head then. A peace treaty. With the Grounders. If he could arrange that and get Clarke to go with him, they could stop any catastrophic wars with the Grounders.

"They're back!" someone shouted as Bellamy and Clarke entered the camp with duffel bags over their shoulders.

Most of the camp was recovering from their hallucinations and the ones still under the high had been sent to their tents, so when the leaders moved to the center of the fire pit, they had the spotlight.

"For a long time, we've been afraid of waking up and venturing past our gates because of the Grounders waiting outside. We don't need to fear anymore." Bellamy said and shared a single look with Clarke before dropping the duffel bags on the floor, where they rolled open to make the guns visible to all.

Gasps and murmurs rang out from the kids.

"There are weapons not toys and they will be used for patrolling and emergencies. We will all be learning how to use them to prevent in-camp accidents." Clarke explained.

Finn stared disbelievingly at the blonde girl he'd admired from day one and the leader he'd wanted to depend on. Initially, Finn had wanted to be more than friends with Clarke because he'd been so panicked at the thought of losing Raven forever. She had rejected him, of course, because of Bellamy and now Finn only wanted Bellamy wiped from existence. He was turning Clarke into some sort of warrior and the camp along with her. Raven agreed with Bellamy most of the time and Finn was left on the sidelines watching his fellow camp transform into something they weren't.

Clarke had noticed Finn's stare and her eyes had momentarily narrowed during her speech, but she'd adjusted her expression so the others wouldn't notice. She planned to have a little chat with him in private. When Bellamy ordered for Miller and Sean to help him store the guns safely and the camp dissipated into their tents, Clarke pulled Finn aside. Raven had already entered their tent so Clarke kept her voice low.

"What?" she asked bluntly.

"Guns? Are you kidding me, Clarke?"

"They're for our protection."

"In Bellamy's hands they're the next atomic bomb."

She glared at him.

"We didn't come here prepping for a war. The Grounders have killed our people. They stabbed you, Finn!" her voice raised slightly.

"In self-defense. We would have done the same. Bellamy brought one back and tortured him."

"Yeah, but if he hadn't you'd be dead."

"I know, but-

"I trust him!" she cut him off impatiently. "I get that you don't but I trust Bellamy with my life. You're going to have to deal with that. This decision is final. The guns stay."

"Clarke-

"I have to go. See me if your wound bleeds or you feel any unusual pain. The stitches will be out by next week."

She walked away and he sighed. Clarke was his only hope for peace. Bellamy would scoff in his face if he proposed a peace treaty. He'd just have to work harder to convince Clarke.

* * *

Bellamy sucked up the courage to approach his sister by the gate and wrap one of Clarke's discovered blankets around her. Octavia turned to him, surprised, but hugged the orange material closer without a word. He watched the back of her head for a second before clearing his throat.

"O, I know you're pissed at me and I don't expect you to forgive me, but I need you to know I'm not going anywhere."

She didn't respond.

"Bellamy." Clarke called. "It's time."

He nodded at her and was walking towards the Communications Tent when he heard the murmur of his sister's voice.

"Thanks for the blanket."

He paused and addressed her again.

"That Grounder escaping. Was that you?"

Her shoulders tensed up and her response was a beat too slow.

"I had nothing to do with it."

"Sweet dreams, O." he whispered and left her at the gate, following Clarke to face the past.

"Sweet dreams, Bell." Her response floated in the breeze, unheard but present.

* * *

"Mr. Blake, I've been meaning to talk to you."

"Before you do I-I'd like to say something." Clarke interrupted, placing a warm hand on Bellamy's thigh, her touch radiating comfort. "When you sent us down here… you sent us to die."

The Chancellor's brow furrowed at her statement but he didn't challenge it.

"Miraculously, most of us are still alive and that is in large part because of him. Because of Bellamy." She glanced at him, finding his eyes focused on her. "He's one of us and he deserves to be pardoned for his crimes. Just like the rest of us."

"Clarke, I appreciate your point of view, but it's not that simple."

"Actually, it is if you want to know who on the Ark wants you dead." Bellamy interjected.

Chancellor Jaha narrowed his eyes in thought and Clarke shared an uneasy look with Bellamy. The barter had been her idea, but it was only when he explained the story of how he got the gun in the first place that she realized it could work.

"Bellamy Blake." The Chancellor straightened, staring directly at him. "You are pardoned for your crimes."

Bellamy and Clarke hid triumphant smiles because it wouldn't look well for the chancellor to see it. They would have to save it for later. Clarke was quiet as Bellamy explained Shumway's plot to the chancellor and at the end was ready to nod a goodbye to the man when he called her name.

"Clarke, there's someone who wants to talk to you."

Her hands froze on the headset. Bellamy had been in the process of disconnecting his when he heard it and he looked at his girlfriend with concern.

"You don't have to do this now, Princess." He murmured, but she shook her head.

"I have to face it the same way you did, right?"

He nodded uncertainly and she told the chancellor to bring her mother in.

"Stay with me. Please." She said.

He grabbed her hands in his and stroked her skin with his thumb in an attempt to comfort her with his touch, the same way she'd done earlier for him.

"Clarke." A female voice gasped and Bellamy saw that Dr. Griffin had arrived.

"Mom."

"Honey, I'm so-

"Don't say it." Clarke cut her off.

"Clarke-

"I didn't agree to this to hear your apologies. I want you to listen to me, Mom."

The older Griffin had begun to tear but she was graceful in her sadness and nodded once.

"I haven't forgiven you for giving Dad up and getting me locked in solitary. Losing Dad and being isolated from the world I'd known almost drove me off the edge. Commander Quincy told me I was psychotic more than once because he said I was acting like a crazy patient, but I was just trying to grieve in my own way."

Bellamy remembered that. Quincy was a heartless dick and when he died, Bellamy was glad to hear it. He had treat Clarke horribly and labeled her mentally insane when she was mourning the loss of a loved one and of a life.

"I haven't forgiven you… yet. I don't know when I will but recent events have put many things into perspective for me. I don't hate you, Mom. I could never do that. But, I'm not ready to forgive. Can you understand that?"

"Yes, sweetheart. I understand. Clarke, honey, I love you. I love you more than anything in the world."

Clarke wiped small tears from her eyes, returning her hands to their place under Bellamy's. Dr. Griffin seemed to suddenly realize her daughter was not alone because she turned to him then.

"This must be Bellamy Blake."

"Good evening, Dr. Griffin." He said courteously.

"I've heard many things about you, Bellamy."

"All bad?"

She gave a short laugh.

"Most, but I'm not one for idle chatter. I accept what I can prove. All I see is a man who loves my daughter."

His eyes widened in surprise and he felt Clarke shift beside him, clearly surprised herself.

"It's quite obvious from your postures and the fact that my very private daughter has involved you in this conversation. She trusts you and she must love you as much as you love her." Her voice sounded far-off and he wondered if she was remembering her husband. "Thank you, Bellamy. Thank you for being there for my little girl."

"You're welcome." He finally said.

The video call ended soon after that. Dr. Griffin promised to call again soon, mentioning something about Unity Day but Bellamy was no longer listening. When the screen went dark and they were walking back to their tent, hand in hand, he told her what was on his mind.

"Did your mother just give us her blessing?"

Clarke smiled.

"Yes, she did."

"How do you feel about that?"

"What do you mean? I'm glad my mother approves, but if she didn't it would make no difference to me." She ducked into the tent and he rushed to follow her.

"What?"

"What?" she repeated.

"You'd go against your mother's wishes?"

"In case you haven't noticed, I do that all the time."

"Clarke, I'm serious."

"So am I. I love my mother, but loving you is only up to me."

"I swear I can't fully believe you're with me."

She rolled her eyes.

"Do I have to give you another speech about how important you are to me and what you've done for me? I can, you know, but I am freaking exhausted and desperate to collapse into my bed."

He gave her a gentle smile and carried her to the bed, tucking her into the covers and following her right after, easily discarding their jackets and outer clothes until they were comfortable in their underwear.

"You're amazing, Clarke. Speaking to your mother like that was a brave thing."

"Speaking to the chancellor was brave too."

"It was all thanks to you."

She kissed him.

"I told you we'd figure something out."

"I love you, Princess."

"I love you, Bell."

He waited a minute before asking.

"How tired are you?"

She grinned up at him.

"Depends. If you're asking me to discuss what we'll do about the Grounder escaping, my brain is too tired to function, but if you're asking me to engage in… a more interesting activity maybe I can keep my eyes open a bit longer."

"A bit?" he raised an eyebrow. "Is that a challenge?"

"Only if you take it." Her voice was intentionally husky and he felt a stirring in his groin at the sound.

"Challenge accepted, Princess."

Her giggles soon turned to breathy moans as they relieved the stress of the day with their passionate lovemaking.

**Again, sorry there's no smut scene. I am not so good at those, but if I get enough requests for it, I'll give it a shot I promise. If not, I can keep them like this.**


	13. Chapter 13

**This story has more than 200 follows and nearly 100 reviews. Guys, you have no idea how happy it makes me that you enjoy my little story :) Love you all!**

**Part XIII.**

Clarke suppressed a yawn as she leaned against the entrance of the drop ship watching the opening of the Unity Day Celebration on the Ark. She had been up early talking to the council. Chancellor Jaha informed her of arresting Commander Shumway and beginning to mobilize the Exodus ship for the first voyage to join the 100 on Earth. She had bit back a negative retort because though she missed her mother, she was not ready for the council of snakes to interfere with the tentative order she and Bellamy had established.

At the end the Chancellor promised to contact her the day after Unity Day to finalize the landing location of the Exodus ship, which would arrive in approximately three days. Three days until things went to hell.

"I'd wish you a Happy Unity Day but then I'd have to give a shit." The low murmur could only belong to one person.

"You slept longer than I did and you've already had breakfast. How can you possibly be in a bad mood already?" she tilted her head to admire him and he frowned.

"Don't tell me you're into this fairy tale?"

"Bell, the Unity Day story inspires hope to those who deeply need it. That includes us."

"No, Princess, the Unity Day story lies to us in an attempt to keep us psychologically dependent on the Ark. The festivities with the little kids reading index cards and parading twelve bright flags leaves out the death and destruction it took to get there, not to mention the Ark wasn't formed until Station 13 was shot down and more than a thousand humans paid the price of war."

"Aren't you all for war and bloody battles?"

She regretted the comment from his hard glare but didn't bother taking it back. She honestly wanted to hear his answer.

"I believe there comes a time when fighting is all that's left, but I don't hide bloodshed behind schoolchildren and fancy banners."

She was forced to agree.

"When I was eight, my parents made me do it."

He seemed confused at the change in topic and she gestured to the little girl still speaking about the history of the Ark.

"I read the 'index cards'." She said dryly and he grinned.

"I'm not surprised the Ark Princess was given the job."

She rolled her eyes.

"Sometimes I hate when you call me that."

"Why's that?"

"It reminds people that I was privileged. When we first met, that's all I was to you and some kids still resent me and Wells for it. You know that's why we would call each other by our surnames. On the Ark we were known by our parents and the positions they served. I decided if I was going to be judged unfairly I might as well give people what they want. I was Griffin and Wells was Jaha. People hated me, Bell, and I'm sure they still do for something I could never control. The moment I took my life into my own hands, trying to spread the truth and expose the council's actions, I ended up in the SkyBox and funnily enough." She paused to give a mirthless chuckle. "They still hated me."

Bellamy watched as her fists clenched at her sides and he grabbed her small hands in his larger ones.

"The day we met I called you Princess because that's what I saw. A beautiful, talented, amazing girl who was like no other. I put you above everyone else, Clarke, and I see you as royalty only because in my eyes you've earned it, but in no way do I consider you a privileged little rich girl. You're the most valuable member of this camp. Don't let anyone tell you different."

She smiled up at him and they were leaning in for a kiss when shouts of protest interrupted their moment.

"What is it now?" he groaned and Clarke's eyes fell on the static-hazed screen at the center of camp.

"The feed cut after the chancellor's speech." She said.

"What does that mean?"

She didn't answer but looked around for someone she knew had a better shot.

"Raven!"

The mechanic turned to her and jogged over to Bellamy and Clarke.

"What happened?"

"We aren't sure. It just went black."

"Did we lost connection?"

"It shouldn't be anything from our side, but I'll check the wires and transmissions anyway. It was probably a change in satellite position from the Ark. It might be back in a few hours. Are you that upset about missing the Miss Unity Day Pageant?" she grinned.

"Very funny."

"And yet you didn't laugh. I'll work on my material, boss. See ya." She laughed and disappeared into the Communications Tent.

"I never expected you two to be friends." Bellamy mused.

"Why wouldn't we be?"

"Her boyfriend propositioned you."

"He flirted with me, Bellamy, he didn't invite me to bed. Don't be dramatic."

"Whatever you say, Princess. I was this close to knocking some teeth out of his mouth if he didn't back off."

She laughed that time.

* * *

By the time evening fell, the camp had forgotten all about the broken feed and were preoccupied with something more…. Alcoholic.

"Moonshine batch #5 is ready and at your service!" Jasper hollered, emerging from his and Monty's tent with a full canister.

The crowd cheered and clustered around the goggled boy, holding out a menagerie of cups or bowls to be served.

Bellamy had been busy outside of camp with a quick hunting trip and wall fortifications, so Clarke had been in charge of watching over the rapidly inebriated teenagers. She had been offered a shot of moonshine by more than one guy (Drunk boys seemed to forget the fear Bellamy inspired in them when it came to his girlfriend) but had politely declined. Her eyes fell on a tall figure standing near the drop ship away from the crowd and she smiled.

"I didn't see you come back." She walked up to meet him, her hands tucked in her jacket pockets.

"I like what you've done with the place." He grinned mischievously and it figured Bellamy would be all for underage drinking.

"I wasn't on board at first…"

"Of course you weren't."

She glared at him but continued nonetheless.

"But, I figure this will boost morale and the days haven't exactly been fun."

"Wow, if the Princess herself agrees we need to have fun, we must be in deep shit."

"Bellamy." She laughed, punching him in the shoulder as he chuckled and pulled her into his arms. "How was the hunting trip?"

"We caught several boars and a couple rabbits. It's gotten easier. Although, it does help that I'm the best hunter there is." He puffed his chest out and she groaned.

"Is that your ego talking again? Like we don't see enough of that."

"Why don't you go get a drink? It might make you a bit less… uptight?"

Her mouth opened in protest and he gave her a kiss on the nose to placate her.

"Uptight in a good way."

"You can be a total ass sometimes." She shook her head but the mood was playful between them.

"Seriously, Clarke, if you want to throw a few back and relieve some tension, that's okay, you know. The Exodus ship and your mom will be here in two days so the reckless delinquent actions have to be done sooner rather than later."

Her face displayed her hesitancy so he lowered his voice to a more intimate murmur.

"You deserve a night off, love. Have a drink or two, laugh, embarrass yourself, enjoy it."

She gave a small chuckle and smiled up at him.

"I do deserve it, don't I?" she nodded to herself and then began walking to where Jasper had set up the moonshine. "So do you by the way." She looked at him over her shoulder.

"I'll have my fun when the Grounders come."

"All right." She grinned, leaving him smiling at her back.

"Unity Day." He said to himself, shaking his head but laughing as he bit into an apple.

He wasn't suddenly a believer in the holiday or in the Ark's designated celebrations, but for Clarke Unity Day meant more than a careless façade of happiness. She saw it as a new start on the Earth and a way to remember their people's history. When it came down to it, Bellamy's will usually bent to his girlfriend's and he'd do whatever it took to make her happy.

* * *

For someone who had drunk dainty sips of champagne and quick gulps of antique wine, Clarke's tolerance for a harder liquor was admirable. She had been playing all manner of drinking games with Tim, Harper, and a couple other people and though she failed at some, she was very skilled at others.

"I bet I can flip this ring in the air using only my nose and catch it in my mouth without spilling a drop of moonshine." Clarke boasted and her fellow players only laughed at her exuberance. "Don't believe me? Watch and learn!" she cheered as she flipped the ring.

"Clarke." Finn's voice broke through the pleasant haze of the alcohol, startling her and making her miss the ring on its descent.

She sighed, giving Tim and Harper an apologetic glance before moving away from the drinking game.

"I have a feeling whatever you're about to say will cause me instant sobriety." She said resentfully.

Finn's boyish features were drawn into a frown and his face held a combination of worry and defiance that made her instantly wary.

"I set up a meeting with the Grounders."

"You did _what_?"

"I organized a peace talk where their leader meets with our leader to negotiate a truce."

"Have you forgotten that our camp has two leaders?"

He dropped her narrowed gaze.

"Bellamy wouldn't understand. He wants a war and we can't afford to die because of his bloodlust."

"Bellamy and I are partners. If I have to meet his leader, we need backup and Bellamy can provide it."

"You mean provide rifles to shoot at people!"

"We need the protection."

"What we need is peace, Clarke. The deal was no weapons. On either side."

"Finn-

"Please," he interrupted "don't give up on this before you even try it. It's time for us to do better. We are not our ancestors. We can't be responsible for more destruction."

The words made her pause. She had thought that same thing numerous times. For all their advanced technology the humans of a century ago had blown up the Earth and made the planet uninhabitable. The 100 had arrived with high hopes and bright eyes and reality had hit them all like a bolt of lightning. The Earth was a hard place, but that didn't mean they had to succumb to its nature. Peace was the first step to permanent prosperity.

"Okay, I'll go with you."

"We need to head out now and make it to the meeting place by daylight."

"Is Raven coming too?"

Guilt flashed through his brown eyes.

"She wouldn't agree with this."

Clarke didn't push because their relationship was their business in the same way hers and Bellamy's was.

"I have to get my pack. I'll meet you at the gate in five."

He nodded, a small smile forming and Clarke internally winced at the utter faith he had in her.

Still, she was a leader now, a guide for what remained of the 100 and her responsibility to the people was her priority. And as she had told Finn, she didn't lead alone.

"Hey, I need to talk to you." She hurried her steps to meet his longer strides outside their tent.

"Enjoying yourself, Princess?" he smirked, expecting a breezy smile and careless laugh.

Instead, her pale brow was furrowed and her blue eyes were stormy.

"I'm serious."

"That's not new."

"Bellamy." Her voice was insistent.

"What's wrong?" he asked in a concerned whisper.

"Finn set up a meeting with the Grounders. I'm off to meet with them right now."

His eyes widened for a second but in a blink they were dark and narrowed on her. He was angry.

"Have you lost your damn mind? Did it slip your mind that the Grounders have a tendency to spear people and hang them up as panther bait? Oh, you just interpret that as 'Let's be friends.'

She sighed.

"I think it's worth a shot. We do have to live with these people."

Bellamy glared at the ground but kept his expression blank as he looked at her.

"They'll probably gut you and display you outside the camp as a warning."

She knew his gruff words were part of the defense mechanism Bellamy liked to hide behind, so she kept her voice soft.

"That's why I came to you, Bell. I need you to follow us. Be our back-up."

He rubbed a hand over his face, feeling infinitely more tired about the journey he was about to go on.

"Does Finn know about this?"

"He doesn't need to know. This concerns the survival of our people and that's up to us."

"Clarke." He pushed an errant hair out of her face tenderly. "You know I'll always be there for you. Leave me a trial. I'll be with you every step of the way."

"Bring guns." She reminded him.

"I know."

She turned on her heel to head for the gate but his low voice stopped her.

"Be careful. I won't lose you, Clarke."

"You won't have to." She gave him a reassuring smile that was slightly off because she was trying to keep a brave face but inside she was terrified.

If things didn't go right, would the war break out right there? What if they killed her on sight? What if they spotted Bellamy and killed him?

She realized these thoughts were counterproductive but whenever she was risking the lives of those she cared about, she got antsy.

"Ready?" Finn asked when she arrived.

"Now I am."

* * *

Bellamy hadn't counted on a trio expedition, but when he'd gone to collect ammunition and Jasper, Raven had grown suspicious and wisely assumed her boyfriend was in the midst of whatever shit was going down. He didn't know her that well, but Clarke promised him she was both trustworthy and brilliant. It would have to be enough for him to count on her to have his back in a gunfight. Jasper was just as smart in his own field and dedicated to helping his friends, but he was also a wild card. He had a growing list of negative experiences with the Grounders and a tendency to jump at loud noises.

Still, Jasper had handled himself well with the Grounder in the cave, helping retrieve Octavia and get Finn back to camp.

When did Bellamy learn so much about these people?

"Goddamnit, Clarke." He muttered under his breath.

Leave it to his princess to pull him into her friend circle without him even realizing.

* * *

"We're almost there." Finn announced and she made a noise of agreement while subtly dropping some nuts behind them.

She was lucky Finn was distracted by directing them to the meeting place or else his sharp eyes would have picked up on her metaphorical bread crumb trail.

"How exactly did you organize this? Did you use sign language or something?"

Finn stopped and turned to face her.

"I talked to the Grounder who we captured and he set this up with his leader. His name is Lincoln."

"Lincoln? Wait, you _talked_ to him and had an actual conversation? Then they do understand us."

"Yes."

"He was willing to let you die, Finn."

"It was self-defense. The Grounders are not the savages we make them out to be."

"Until proven otherwise they are."

"You sound like Bellamy."

"Is that so wrong?"

He didn't answer and Clarke figured that was for the best.

* * *

When they arrived at the meeting place, which happened to be an ancient looking bridge, Clarke was surprised to see they were not alone.

"Octavia? It makes sense now. Finn talked to Lincoln through you." Clarke deduced. "You've been sneaking out of camp and making Jasper and Monty worry about you, but really you've been fine, haven't you?"

The brunette had the decency to look ashamed.

"Lincoln and I-We just- I trust him, Clarke." She finally said.

"Yeah, there's a lot of that going on." Clarke responded tiredly.

"Someone's coming." Finn pointed out.

"Lincoln!" Octavia cried, running forward to meet him on their side of the bridge.

Clarke might have found the moment romantic and she wanted to be happy for her friend, but Octavia had been careless and selfish, endangering herself and all those who cared about her. She could only imagine what Bellamy would think. With that in mind, Clarke gave a cautious surveying of the dense woods below the bridge and caught a glimpse of figures darting through the trees, including one familiarly tall frame. She repressed the sigh of relief at Bellamy's arrival.

"How will this work?" Finn was asking and Clarke focused on Lincoln as he spoke.

"My leader wants to speak with yours. Negotiations proceed from there."

"When will they get here?" Clarke inquired but her mouth shut at the sound of galloping steps approached.

"They have arrived." Lincoln murmured.

Clarke was staring with undisguised awe at the creatures she'd only heard about in her Earth Skills textbooks.

"Horses." She breathed, unable to control the smile of wonder.

She was so caught up with the animals she almost missed the moment a lithe female dropped from the lead horse, unwrapping a fur around her neck and revealing regal cheekbones, kohl designs around her intense eyes, and lips drawn into a fierce line.

"Go forward." Lincoln addressed her and Clarke blinked a second before adjusting her shoulders and raising her neck to display an external appearance of collected confidence.

"Good luck." Octavia's thin fingers pressed against the palm of Clarke's hand encouragingly.

"Thanks." Clarke replied before schooling her features and leaving her friends to face the leader of the Grounders.

* * *

Bellamy kept his rifle trained on the sauntering walk of the Grounder and his pulse jumped in his throat the closer she got to Clarke.

"Do you think this will work?" Raven asked, her own rifle pointed at the two guards across the bridge.

"It would be a God given miracle."

"Is that a no?"

"Stay alert." He said instead and Raven wisely stayed quiet after that.

Bellamy took a deep breath as Clarke met the Grounder leader at the middle of the bridge, the air still and ominous.

_Make this work, Princess. Make this work._

* * *

Clarke's palms were sweaty at her sides and she was almost thankful Anya had rejected the attempt at a handshake. She had begun blaming them for starting a war they couldn't finish. Clarke had been puzzled, attempting to explain the opposite but as Anya listed their supposed violations, she had to agree it sounded bad on their part.

"You're right." Clarke said and the woman across her raised an eyebrow. "We were acting like we were the only ones on this planet and it was reckless. I apologize on our behalf for what's occurred, but I am here for a greater change."

"A peace agreement." Her voice dripped with disdain.

"A truce." Clarke amended and Anya nodded for her to go on.

"You list your boundaries, we list ours. There is no need for a war between our people."

"My scouts tell me you expect more Sky People. A ship that brings warriors."

The Exodus ship. Clarke didn't bother thinking about where the scouts had to be to pick up this information. One problem at a time.

"Yes, the guard is coming, but also doctors. Farmers. Engineers. Working people."

"Can you guarantee that the arriving Sky People will do honor the terms we set today?"

Clarke hesitated.

"I promise I'll do everything I can to make them understand our peace."

"Why would I agree to an alliance your people can break the second they choose to?" Anya crossed her arms angrily and Clarke knew she had to choose her next words carefully.

* * *

Raven snorted, seeing the older woman's defensive position and the ire in her eyes. She watched the conversation through the sight of the rifle.

"Grounder princess looks pissed."

"Our princess has that effect." Bellamy said with a shake of his head.

As the two observed the postures of the leaders, Jasper's eyes had wandered to the upper forestry, specifically the treetops.

"Oh no. Oh, this is bad." Jasper was muttering repeatedly.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Bellamy growled, not liking the lanky boy's twitching grip on the gun.

"There's Grounders in the trees."

"What? Where?" Raven moved her sight to the trees.

"I don't see them." Bellamy said after doing the same.

Jasper wasn't listening to anything around him anymore. His eyes were trained on the movements of the hidden Grounders. He saw the one on the left tree make a hand gesture to the yielding the bow and arrow. The arrow was notched and Jasper gasped.

"They're gonna shoot. Clarke, run!" he bellowed, bursting from their cover to blast bullets wildly at the trees.

As all hell went loose, Bellamy desperately fought to keep his hands steady and let Raven and Jasper cover him as his sight stayed on Clarke. This proved to be the right decision when the female Grounder slipped a blade from her sleeve and raised it at Clarke's defenseless body.

Bellamy didn't stop to think as the bullet fired, hitting her directly in the wrist and knocking her balance off so she fell off to the side. Clarke's head spun as she met his worried gaze.

"Clarke, get down!" Finn shouted, running for her and pulling them both back to one side of the bridge as the arrows kept flying, accompanied with several lethal spear shots.

Octavia was whimpering over Lincoln's wounded arm, but Finn grabbed her next and the three were running through the woods back towards camp. The other three fell into step beside them but they didn't stop until they were outside their own gates.

They were all panting and breathing heavily, but the fatigue gave way to rage minutes later. Finn had pulled himself upright to glare darkly at Clarke, who was still catching her breath next to Bellamy.

"Got something to say, Spacewalker?" Bellamy snarled, not liking the boy's look at all.

"I told you no guns!" he spat at Clarke.

"I told you we couldn't trust the Grounders. And I was right!"

"Why didn't you tell me what you were up to?" Raven cut in, turning on her boyfriend with narrowed eyes.

"You were too busy making bullets for your guns to listen if I'd tried."

"You're lucky she brought that!" Bellamy interjected.

He was growing more than annoyed with Finn's convenient guilt trips. He put the blame on everyone else and didn't acknowledge that he made just as many mistakes as the rest of them.

"They went there to kill you, Finn! They would have shot an arrow through Clarke's heart!" Bellamy roared.

"You don't know that! Jasper fired the first shot." Finn countered.

"You ruined everything." Octavia said in a deathly low whisper, glaring spitefully at the boy who'd told her he loved her days before.

"I saved you." Jasper said, not amused with the situation turning on him.

Octavia had already turned on her heel, rushing to her tent to bury her head in the covers and cry about another setback in her meetings with Lincoln.

"You're welcome." Jasper told her retreating back, entering the camp to look for Monty and let his own tears fall privately.

"Well, if we weren't at war already, we sure as hell now. You didn't have to trust the Grounders, Clarke, you just had to trust me." He gave her a pained look before pushing past her to enter the camp.

Raven sighed.

"We'll see you in the morning after one hell of a fight."

She followed Finn into the camp, leaving the other couple alone.

"Best Unity Day ever, huh?" Bellamy asked sarcastically and Clarke huffed a brief laugh.

"We lost all chances of peace with people who want us dead, I've ruined more than one friendship, and I almost died… It's certainly been an interesting one, I'll give you that."

"Don't remind me. You have no idea what I was feeling when arrows started flying. When that Grounder bitch took that knife out-

"Her name's Anya." She interrupted in a small voice. "I thought I'd be able to do this, Bell. But, I failed. Finn's right. We have to expect a war's coming."

He heard the guilt in her voice and immediately pulled her into his arms.

"Hey. This is not your fault. We will never know who exactly was at fault. Jasper fired first because he thought the Grounders were going to kill you. If they had fired first and killed you, would that justify our actions and make this all better? No. For one, if you died I'd take the world with me before joining you in the afterlife."

She gave a light chuckle and he smiled down at her.

"We can get through this, Clarke. Let's just take it day by day. Tomorrow we can strategize potential battle tactics and organize our people accordingly."

She nodded into his chest, inhaling his scent in the jacket her nose was pressed against.

"Princess, look." His voice was excited and she raised her head to follow the path of his gaze to the sky where a flash of light was decorating the night.

"The Exodus ship." She gasped.

"Your mom's early."

Her lips widened into a bright smile but the smile dimmed as she analyzed the chaotic trail of the ship.

"Wait. Too fast. No parachute. Something's wrong."

As the words left her mouth, the ship's speed had increased until it plummeted headfirst to the ground and exploded on impact. The smoke drifted up and even at the considerable distance they were Clarke, could see there was nothing left.

"Oh my God." A sob was caught in her throat so her words came out choked.

Clarke felt her pack hit the floor and she would have done the same if Bellamy's arms didn't wrap around her waist, catching her as her legs gave out.

"Clarke. Clarke. Love, you have to breathe." He was whispering in her ear, gentle but persistent.

She tried to listen but the air wasn't entering her lungs and she couldn't figure out why. All she could see was the explosion and she imagined her mother's screams of agony as her body was obliterated.

Bellamy saw her struggle for oxygen and knew the shock wasn't allowing her to breathe normally. He lowered her to the ground, kneeling at her side and pressing his lips to her. He pushed her lips open with his and bit her bottom lip softly to let his tongue meet hers. The intensity of the kiss pulled her out of the stupor and as he eased back, he was relieved to notice her breaths had synchronized to his.

"Princess. Talk to me. Don't shut me out." He pleaded and saw tears begin cascading down her beautiful face.

"My mom was on that ship. She's d-dead. I lost her, Bellamy. I'm an orphan." Her voice broke on the last word and Bellamy simply held her as she cried herself to sleep.

He picked her up gently, laying her down in their tent before rushing outside to get Miller and inform him of what happened.

"Start doing damage control. Keep everyone calm and get them to sleep. No one disturbs us tonight. In the morning, I'll speak to the camp. Until then, my tent is off limits to everyone and unless the Grounders are knocking on our gates, I will murder anyone who tries to bother me or Clarke. Got it?"

Miller seemed dazed at the vehemence in his leader's voice but nodded and went to find Monroe for additional help.

Bellamy ducked into his tent and saw Clarke still sleeping, but trembling in her sleep. Her eyes were fluttering and she had begun tossing under the covers. When she began crying out for her parents, it was clear she was trapped in a nightmare. Bellamy had seen her nightmares those first nights he'd been assigned to her cell on the Ark and he knew there was only one way to calm her enough for her to sleep tranquilly.

He began humming her lullaby and stroking the tangled curls framing her face. She stopped her fitful movements for a second, but cried out again, a heart wrenching sound that Bellamy felt inside him. If humming wasn't enough… he'd have to sing.

_Damn it, Princess. Only for you_, he thought as he laid beside her, pulling her into his chest so she was warmed by both the covers and his larger frame.

"_You are my sunshine, my only sunshine_

_You make me happy when skies are gray_

_You'll never know dear, how much I love you_

_Please don't take my sunshine away._

_The other night, dear, when I lay sleeping_

_I dreamt I held you in my arms_

_When I awoke, dear, I was mistaken _

_So I hung my head and cried._

_You are my sunshine…" _his voice was rough and the melodic beauty Octavia had given it when she sang it as a child was replaced by the melancholia and grit of his.

He knew what it felt like to lose a mother and he knew Clarke's heart was aching at this new blow. She'd seen her father floated and now she'd seen her mother explode from afar. It would take time for her to heal, but he would be there every step of the way, even if that meant singing when he didn't have the voice to do so.

Clarke had stilled in his arms, but she'd nuzzled under his chin and placed her hands above his heart, her breathing calm and the lines gone from her brow. He repeated the words of the little song a few times until he followed her into sleep.


	14. Chapter 14

**I'm glad you guys are into my other story, I'll Bury My Love For You. I will focus on that one after I catch up with the show here and then with the show hiatus this story shall do the same. I will update my second story probably next week at some point.**

**To the reviewer who asked about the story titles, yes girl! Loving You is a Bloodsport refers to the amazing Bellarke anthem that is Raleigh Ritchie's Bloodsport. And I'll Bury My Love For You refers to Jaymes Young's Moondust, another perfect ship song for Bellamy and Clarke. **

**That season finale killed me. Bellamy and Clarke were just… wow. Wow. Let me post my stories and try to recover from Wednesday. Just wow…**

**Part XIV**

Clarke woke up alone. She felt the residual warmth of Bellamy's body on the sheets beside her but the man himself was gone. She sat up at a sudden thought. The Exodus crash site. It had to be visited in case of survivors or usable supplies, she knew that. Had Bellamy gone to explore the site without her in a twisted attempt to spare her pain?

Anger bubbled in her chest and she dressed with shaking limbs, imagining all the ways she'd hurt Bellamy the next time she saw him (some were quite violent.)

"Clarke."

Bellamy entered the tent, his eyes narrowing in on the tremble in her hands as she zipped her jacket. The second she saw her boyfriend standing there, concerned, and holding her rationed breakfast in one hand with a cup of water in the other, she felt the tension leave her body and visibly relaxed her muscles.

"Bell." Her voice was hoarse from the previous night of sobs and cries.

"Hungry?"

She appreciated that he didn't ask her if she was okay when she clearly was not. There was no need to tell him what she'd assumed. She should have known Bellamy wouldn't take the choice out of her hands. That wasn't the way he worked.

"Yeah." She replied.

* * *

The trek to the crash site was quiet-except for the leaves crunching under boots- for a variety of reasons. First, they were always wary of Grounder attacks. Second, Raven was still pissed at Finn and after yelling for all she was worth the previous night she was in stage two: the silent treatment. The guys Bellamy had added to the trip were mute most of the time anyway. The final pair consisted of Bellamy and Clarke walking in the rear of the group and since leaving camp Clarke hadn't said a word. Bellamy knew better than to pressure her when she was mentally preparing herself for what they would find. He simply gripped her small hand in one of his and kept walking.

When they reached the remains of the Exodus ship there was a collective intake of breath. Pieces of the ship littered the ground, charred bodies buried under burning heaps of metal.

"Split up. See what you can salvage." Bellamy told the four guys he'd brought along.

"If I can find the black box that modulated commands for the Exodus ship, I might be able to retrace the signals and see what went down." Raven told him and he nodded as she went off, Finn trailing behind her, to search for the box.

He turned back to Clarke and got a flash of her hair as she moved between debris, examining the bodies. It was a futile attempt to locate her mother, he knew, because skeletons wouldn't betray any identity. Clarke had to try anyway. Bellamy granted her solitude on her search and joined Finn and Raven further away.

"Clarke shouldn't be here." Finn said, watching the blonde girl sift through the wreckage.

Bellamy glared at him.

"That's no one's decision but her own."

"She wants answers." Raven added, giving her boyfriend her own glare. "You clearly don't understand that women are not fragile flowers needing your protection."

Finn sighed.

"That wasn't what I meant."

"It certainly sounded like it last night when you told me I couldn't handle your burden." Raven crossed her arms and Bellamy was thankful he wasn't Finn.

Before the spacewalker could formulate a response, Raven's gaze fell upon Clarke bending near what was once an engine and was still a hazard.

"Clarke, stop!" Raven bellowed, running towards her with Bellamy and Finn picking up the pace behind her.

"Fuel leak?" Clarke asked when the mechanic arrived.

"This is a different beast altogether. Hydrazine." Raven crouched to the dripping liquid, dipping a rock into it and standing. "Fire in the hole!" she warned before launching the rock.

The explosion that followed led to a string of curses by Bellamy's back-up guys.

"This whole area might be covered by spilt hydrazine. We need to go before an accident no one will live through happens." Raven declared and Bellamy nodded.

"Let's go, stay in formation!" he gestured and the group fell into step as they'd arrived.

Clarke gave a final glance to the destroyed ship but didn't protest at the return to camp. Bellamy let the others walk ahead and intertwined their fingers again, speaking so only she could hear him.

"Did you find what you were looking for?"

"I'm not sure what I expected to find. Survivors, I guess, but that was wildly sanguine. Not a feeling fit for this place."

"Hey." He tilted her chin up so the blue eyes he adored were trained on him. "Don't let anything steal your hope. We can't afford to be jaded enough to ignore the possibility of human lives. You taught me that, Princess."

She gave him a small smile.

"And you listened? Miracles do exist."

Her joke was tentative but he knew she would be okay without having to ask. Clarke was a strong woman and she would still mourn the loss of her parents, but Bellamy was damn sure she wasn't giving up on her beliefs.

"Thank you, Bellamy." She whispered and he kissed her forehead.

"Anything for you, Princess."

* * *

As things on Earth usually went-mainly tragic- returning from the grave site of her mother, Clarke was met with another complication: a bloodied, beaten Murphy.

He was cowering in a corner of the drop ship while Connor and James pointed rifles at him. Bellamy had given him one glance and raised his own gun with a snarl.

"I told you what would happen if you showed your face here again."

"What the hell are you doing?" Finn had heard about Murphy being found in the woods and knew he'd have to intervene.

"Keeping my word."

"You can't kill him! Look at him, Bellamy! He can barely breathe, he's so injured. He must have been with the Grounders."

"Fraternizing with the enemy? Good, another mark on his conscience." The gun remained where it was and Bellamy moved his finger to the trigger as Clarke placed a warm hand on his forearm.

"Finn's right."

"The hell he is! Clarke, he killed two people, he tried taking out Wells, and he would have killed you!"

"I'm aware of all that, but shooting him when he's bleeding out before us, defenseless, would make us like him. Is that what you want?"

He hadn't responded when she knelt by Murphy's battered body and grabbed his hands carefully.

"His fingernails were torn off. He was tortured." She informed them.

"You and the Grounders should compare notes." Finn said derisively and Bellamy glowered at him.

"The Grounders know we're at war. Maybe you should too. Peace treaties and karaoke around campfires won't solve our problems, Gandhi."

Finn gave the taller man a dark look but Clarke was quick to stop the argument when she straightened and addressed Bellamy.

"If he was held by the Grounders, he has information we can use. Once he gets better, we question him about what he knows and kick him out of our camp." She brushed past him, intending to visit Raven and check on the connection the Ark but Bellamy's voice stopped her.

"What if he refuses to leave?"

Clarke turned and met Finn's gaze as she spoke.

"Then we kill him."

* * *

Clarke left any security details on Murphy in Bellamy's hands and decided it would be best for her to collaborate with the resident mechanic.

"Anything?" she asked when she entered the Communications Tent.

"If static is meaningful." Raven dumped the headset on the table and bit her lip thoughtfully. "Only an explosion could have knocked out the Ark's connection. They have pretty advanced tech up there and their radio signals are the strongest I've ever seen."

"You suspect foul play?"

"It can't be a coincidence that the Exodus ship scheduled to come down in two days crash lands and we lose the Ark feed. Whoever commandeered the Exodus ship might be someone we're lucky we didn't have to face."

"Lucky is not an adjective I'd use to describe any part of this camp."

Clarke was opening her mouth to agree when a wave of nausea passed over her and she blinked to steady her vision.

"Oh my God! Clarke, your eyes." Raven stood from her chair, her mouth open in shock.

Clarke brought a hand to her face and pulled it away with blood. She was bleeding from her eyes.

"Help me!" a voice screamed and Clarke didn't stop to think before following the sound.

Connor had collapsed to the ground, spewing blood from his mouth and coughing with rough jolts of his body. His friend was in the same condition and Clarke's brow furrowed as she analyzed the situation. Her blood-rimmed eyes widened in realization.

"Raven, get away from us."

"What?" the other girl asked, her gaze fixed on the fallen boys.

"They're the ones who brought Murphy back. I was one of the first ones to see him."

"Oh shit, don't tell me it's what I think it is."

"I wish I could." Clarke murmured dejectedly before running towards the drop ship.

She found Murphy there alone, which was understandable since Bellamy must have assigned Connor and James to the post and they were indisposed outside.

"Murphy, I need you to tell me exactly how you escaped from the Grounders." She had dropped to her knees beside him but had to move away as he began coughing as violently as the others, blood hitting the drop ship floor like a crimson waterfall.

"I was in a cage for I don't know how long. I came to this morning and the door was open. I ran like hell." He wheezed as blood continued to overflow from his lips.

"They let you go." She said slowly as the circumstances began to reveal themselves.

She wanted to cry and scream and curse all at once, but Murphy's next coughing fit brought her back to reality. She grabbed a rag from nearby and gave it to him so he could wipe his mouth at least.

"Clarke! Raven told me you were sick! What's going on here? What happened to Connor and James?"

"Bellamy, stay back!" she cautioned turning from her position on the floor.

He inhaled sharply at the sight of her stained features.

"Did he do something to you?" the venom was lethal in his tone but she shook her head.

"We should have known the Grounders would launch their retaliation soon. This is it."

"Biological warfare." He said gravely and she nodded tiredly.

"Everyone who had contact with Murphy is at risk."

Choking coughs came closer to the drop ship and they watched James and Connor barely standing before sliding to the floor in the medical bay. Raven followed them, her eyes narrowed.

"I forced these two idiots to get in here. Connor wanted to take a swim in the river and calm his nerves, but I told him to get his head out of his ass."

"Raven, you shouldn't be in here. No one should." Clarke kept her eyes on Bellamy as she spoke but he pressed his lips into a hard line and met her stare calmly.

"Tell me what this is."

She explained what she could based on the symptoms exhibited.

"Is it fatal?" Bellamy asked.

Before she could answer, Derek began coughing violently until his body was shaking and blood leaked from his mouth and suddenly he wasn't moving at all. Clarke pushed herself up to go over to the boy, pressing two fingers at his neck. No pulse.

"He's dead." She declared bleakly and Bellamy ran a hand through his hair.

"What do we do, Clarke?" he asked.

"Quarantine. Anyone Connor and Derek interacted with needs to be brought in for a check-up."

"If this spreads through contact, we'll be bringing in the whole camp."

"What else can we do, Bellamy?" she gave him a desperate look but turned back to Connor, still doubled over in the corner. "Connor, who else brought Murphy in?"

He groaned in answer.

"Think harder." She demanded.

"Octavia found him." He managed to pant.

Clarke didn't have to see Bellamy's face to sense the pure fear there. There was a rush of wind at her back as Bellamy left the drop ship to bring his sister.

An idea began forming in the back of her mind. An idea Bellamy might hate her for, but an idea that could save the camp.

* * *

Clarke hadn't been surprised when Bellamy accepted her judgment on Octavia's condition. She really wasn't sick and it was possible she'd developed an immunity to the virus, so keeping her on the third level of the drop ship wouldn't do her any harm. Of course, Octavia wasn't quarantined at all. She was half-way to Lincoln's cave in search of a cure for the Grounder-concocted virus.

There had been four more casualties after Derek. Three girls and a boy who must have been 13 years old if that. Clarke wasn't sure what the virus targeted and it frustrated her immensely that with her medical knowledge she was useless in the moments it mattered most.

She sighed as two of the sentries, some of the strongest boys in the camp, came in to carry the corpses to a pile outside the drop ship. The growing body count was unsettling and from where she stood on the drop ship ramp, Clarke saw people snapping at each other and tempers flaring. It wouldn't take much to spark the fuse.

"How's it going in there?" Bellamy had wandered closer, though she shot him a warning glance.

The last thing she wanted was for Bellamy to fall to the virus like her and leave the camp defenseless.

"Some medicine might be nice, but I'd kill for a slice of chocolate cake." She said lightly, smiling when he laughed.

"I'll see what I can do, Princess."

"Thanks."

He paused, looking at the ground before meeting her cerulean gaze again.

"We have five bodies out here. Is there anyone else that…" he trailed off but she knew what he meant.

"Those cases worsened at an alarming rate. The symptoms ranged from a mild nosebleed to a coughing fit that ended in death. Everyone already in the drop ship has one or two of the symptoms but a constant condition. There shouldn't be any more casualties."

"Then the quarantine can be more flexible. Octavia doesn't have to stay cooped up in there, right? Octavia!" he called and Clarke winced.

Bellamy didn't miss the gesture.

"Where is my sister?" his voice was gruff and Clarke hated what the situation had made her do.

"I sent her to see the Grounder, Lincoln. He's helped her before and tried to help us. He must know if there's a cure."

Bellamy was glowering at her and when she tried to explain her reasoning again, he cut her off brashly.

"If she gets hurt outside these walls, you and me are gonna have a problem." He stalked to the front gates, assumedly to search for Octavia himself.

"Bellamy!" she called out his name weakly from her position, but he ignored her and kept walking.

He would have continued into the forest if Barnes didn't collapse to the ground in front of him, bleeding profusely from the eyes. Several others were succumbing to the virus and the infected were mixed in with the crowed, creating the widespread panic Clarke had been fearing. She saw Raven, Finn, and Bellamy intervene in the hysteria, but their efforts were fruitless.

Clarke ran inside the drop ship, gripping the automatic rifle in her hands and marching back outside where she fired several bullets into the sky. The camp fell silent as everyone turned to face Clarke.

"This is exactly what the Grounders want, can't you see that? They don't have to kill us if we do it for them." She had walked off of the ramp and close enough to the others that her voice carried through the camp.

"No one else will die if we keep the virus contained. Get back in the damn drop ship!" Patrick growled, presuming that having a gun pointed at her meant he had all the power.

Bellamy didn't hesitate before stepping forward and in one lithe movement using Patrick's rifle to deliver a crushing blow to his face. Bellamy ripped the gun away from the boy, who was now pressing his hands to his broken nose.

"In case it isn't clear, the quarantine thing is not working out." He said dryly.

Clarke had a comeback ready, it was on the tip of her tongue but suddenly neither her tongue nor the rest of her body was functioning as it usually did. Her eyes drooped as the gun slipped from her hands and her body sagged to the floor. Seconds before she hit the ground, strong arms wrapped around her, pulling her securely against their chest.

She didn't have to open her eyes to know it was Bellamy.

"Let me go. I'm fine." She protested feebly, not having enough energy to do much else.

"No, you're not so don't be difficult. That might be a real feat for you, but do me a favor and try."

His sarcastic jab seemed familiar and though Clarke was fearing for the safety of their camp and countless lives, including her own, she was thankful he'd given her that. He might have been angry with her for exposing her sister to danger, but that never distracted him from the bigger picture and he had proven his commitment to her by putting Patrick in his place and catching Clarke at the risk of getting sick himself.

"Octavia will bring back a cure." She told him and he saw how much she wished for that to be true.

"There is no cure."

Unfortunately, Octavia had returned then with not-so-helpful words of wisdom.

The virus wasn't supposed to kill, just weaken, but it had claimed five victims so far and Clarke collapsed in his arms so the Grounders were full of shit and Bellamy wanted to shoot them all down.

"The Grounders are coming. They arrive at nightfall." Octavia announced and murmurs of apprehension tittered through the crowd.

Octavia disregarded the others as she stepped forward to place a hand on the girl in her brother's arms.

"She's hot. Feverish. I'll help you get her into the drop ship."

Bellamy nodded and followed his sister inside. Murphy promptly offered his hammock and Bellamy spared him a perfunctory glare before setting Clarke down carefully. The blonde opened her eyes tiredly and stared up at the Blakes.

"What will it take to keep you out of here?"

Octavia hid a smile, fully aware the question was directed at Bellamy.

"I'll be happy to follow your edicts, Princess, the second you get better." He grinned and Clarke huffed.

"Stubborn asshole." She muttered and Octavia barked a laugh.

"Just noticed?"

Bellamy nudged her playfully and grabbed Clarke's hand in both of his, stroking her palm.

"How do you feel?"

"Parched." She admitted and Octavia rushed to get her a cup of water.

Clarke took several sips before pushing it away.

"Clarke-

"Other people need it too. Please, Octavia." She implored.

The younger girl nodded.

"I'll take care of them. Rest and get better. We need you." She said, walking away.

"Octavia's right. Don't try and be a hero. You won't be any help to us if you're dead."

She frowned and he kissed her forehead to smooth the lines of her brow.

"Relax, my love. You've done more than enough. Let us help you now."

He smoothed her hair down and the soft touches lulled her into sleep, the exhaustion of the virus attacking her body and her immune system putting up a fight finally getting to her.

Bellamy watched her breathing even out before kissing her forehead once more and leaving the drop ship. He had business to take care of in the Ammunitions Tent.

* * *

Clarke opened her eyes and smelled blood and rust. The smell overpowered her and she shot out of the hammock in a semi-dazed state until she remembered where she was. There was no quaint tent and no warm Bellamy beside her. She was surrounded by the sick and dying.

Clarke no longer felt the heaviness in her chest or the fatigue in her soul. It seemed that the virus was passing and that meant she was safe. The virus wasn't meant to kill, but the 100 were Sky People, which unlike the Grounders, meant a weakened immune system. There had been fatalities because the teenage delinquents had never experienced a sickness like this. The Ark's filtration systems left no room for disease. That would have proved catastrophic.

"Get the hell away from me. Don't think for a second because I'm sick I've forgotten what you did and what you tried to do."

The rough voice could only belong to one man. Clarke jumped up from her hammock to find Bellamy sitting up on a mattress placed on the floor. He was rejecting a cup of water from Murphy's hands and though he was clearly suffering from the virus, the loathing in his eyes was ardent.

"Hey, I got this one." She told Murphy, who held up his hands and walked away.

Clarke took the water and held it to Bellamy's lips. His brown eyes were trained on her as he drank and after she lowered the cup, he grabbed her face and kissed her passionately.

Neither cared that their blood was smudged between them, but Clarke still pulled an old rag from her pocket to clean his face and then hers.

"When did you get here?" she asked.

"Not long after you. I can't stay away." He grinned but she only shot him a pained look.

"I told you not to touch me. You could have died because of me."

"Clarke." He gripped her chin. "I do what I think is right, as impulsive as my actions seem I do think them through. When you were falling, the only choice was to catch you. If that's what gave me the virus, I don't regret it. It's more likely I caught it from the rest of the camp, but it doesn't matter to me. Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah." She whispered.

"Then it was worth it."

* * *

At the end of the day, Raven and Finn's plan had worked. The Grounders were held off temporarily after the bridge was blown and Jasper came out a hero for being the one to set off the bomb when everyone else was incapacitated. Raven was recovering from the virus in the drop ship, Finn keeping vigil at her side, and Clarke was puttering around the camp checking on each member of the camp.

Bellamy eventually lost track of her. He was in charge of organizing the new guard rotations and scavenging teams, as well as ordering graves to be made for those who perished from the virus.

He exited the camp with Miller, Monroe, and Sean intending to do a final perimeter of the camp before leaving two of them on sentry duty for the night when he saw Clarke, standing there weaponless in front of the fresh graves.

"You're not supposed to be outside the gates without a gun." He told her, signaling the other three to do the perimeter check without him.

Clarke didn't respond, her eyes running over the neat rows of dirt where kids now lay buried.

"We lost 11 today." She said.

Bellamy knew there were 14 graves and he knew Atom, Xander, and Sophia had been the original three graves, but he hadn't known the grand total of the virus' victims.

"What happened to 5?"

"We weren't prepared for biological warfare, Bellamy. Our immune systems are stuttering to catch up with this new world. It's a miracle we didn't all die. Connor was the last one. I thought he was recovering…"

She heaved a sob and Bellamy pulled her into his side.

"What is it?"

"This is never-ending, isn't it? A failed peace treaty, the destruction of the Exodus ship, a bomb against the Grounders, a virus that picks off eleven kids. What's next?"

"I don't know, Clarke, but I know whatever it is we'll be here to face it. Together. We have to be."

She nodded, collecting herself as she always did.

"What about Murphy?"

"You mean the socialist murderer who had you on his hit list? I can think of a few answers to your question. I don't think you'll like them."

"Bell."

He sighed and waited for her to make her point.

"We can't afford to lose any more people. Murphy helped Octavia tend to the sick when I couldn't. He was once your most valuable follower. He's a soldier."

"We banished him, Clarke. Now we have pardon power?"

"It's hard running things, huh?"

He rolled his eyes.

"You're telling me you trust him?"

"Trust? Absolutely not. I believe in second chances, though, and we don't have to let him roam free. We can keep an eye on him in camp."

"I don't feel comfortable having enemies inside the camp when we have so many outside already."

"I understand that, but today he showed everyone a different side. We can't throw him out when he helped save our people."

"Can't we?"

She crossed her arms and he shook his head regretfully.

"I hate this."

"I know." She gave him a quick kiss. "This isn't something I want to do, but I believe it has to be done."

He couldn't disagree with her logic, though Murphy was a thorn he couldn't quite dig out of his skin. Bellamy had a sinking feeling they were making a mistake.


	15. Chapter 15

**Warning: Serious sadness coming up in this chapter. I was conflicted but I felt the story had to go this way. I hope no one hates me by the bottom of this page!**

**Part XV**

Bellamy bit back a groan when he saw Clarke standing on a sloping hill a quarter mile from the camp. They were in the process of fortifying the wall and he'd been overseeing all construction as well as deviated guard patterns. Clarke had been in the drop ship tending to the cuts and splinters the inexperienced kids had been having, but somehow she'd slipped out without anyone noticing. She looked deep in thought as she stared out at the expanse of forestry between the Grounders and the 100's makeshift home and he decided he'd lecture her about ignoring protocol and waltzing outside the gates without a gun.

He jogged up the incline and stopped at her side.

"Anything?"

She shook her head.

"It's been two days… Maybe the bomb on the bridge scared them away for good."

He regarded her skeptically.

"You really believe that?" he asked, knowing the answer already.

"No. They're coming."

Bellamy watched her for several seconds before grabbing her and in his.

"Then we'll be ready." He tugged her after him, descending the hill quickly. "Jasper said he can cook up some more gunpowder if we scavenge some sulfur and Raven says she can use that to make a minefield so… watch your step."

Clarke hadn't been paying attention to the uneven ground and a cluster of twigs in her path caused her to trip and begin careening forward. Bellamy instantly turned to catch her with his body, one hand stilling hers as the other went to her waist. He grinned down at her.

"What did I just say, Princess?"

"Ha ha, funny." She rolled her eyes and he released her with a chuckle.

They continued walking to the camp, passing the open gates.

"What I really need is more of her tin can bombs. I'd love to roll into that Grounder camp and blow them to high hell."

Clarke pulled her hand from his and turned away from him, her mouth in a thin line.

"That's what they want to do to us, Clarke." He said defensively.

"I can't believe we survived 100 years after nuclear holocaust just to slaughter each other. There has to be another way."

Her voice sounded far-off and Bellamy knew the pacifist in her was hurting at the prospect of war. While Clarke knew what had to be done, she didn't enjoy the loss of life, even if that life was a psychotic Grounder ready to spear them if they turned their backs.

"Any word from the Ark?" he asked.

Clarke's features tightened in pain before she hid behind a mask of detachment. Bellamy hated that he had to ask, but Clarke and Raven had been the ones working in the Communications Tent and as co-leader he needed to know of future threats or events that would affect their camp.

"Radio silence." She replied.

"Must have run out of air." He mumbled, but she heard every word.

"Maybe my mom was lucky. Being on the Exodus ship… at least it was quick."

The pain was evident in her words and Bellamy pulled her into him, stroking her hair like he would when they were alone in their tent. Most of the camp was scattered around the area, working on the wall or in the meat locker they'd built, allowing the two leaders a semblance of privacy in the open.

"No one's coming down to save us." She whispered into his chest.

He didn't say anything, but kissed the top of her head, hoping his strength would be enough to fuel hers.

* * *

She was finishing the stitches on Monroe's left wrist when she heard the screams and the sinister crackle of flames.

"What the hell?" Monroe said and followed Clarke out of the drop ship.

It was as she'd suspected. Their day old meat locker was burning to the ground and with it all the food they'd stored for the rapidly approaching winter. Octavia knelt next to her brother, coughing and wiping ash from her face so Clarke ran over to check on her.

"What happened?" she asked, pushing Octavia's brown mane back to feel her pulse and the rate of her breaths for any irregularities.

"This asshole whose name escapes me did exactly what I said not to and added too many coals to the fire." Octavia panted, thanking Clarke when she produced a cup of water.

"That was all the food." Bellamy said in a low voice over Octavia's head, meeting Clarke's worried stare.

"What now?" Octavia asked, glancing between the couple for answers.

She, like everyone else, depended on Clarke and Bellamy to make the tough choices and keep everything in line. It had become their role since they'd arrived on Earth and Octavia had even heard some of the younger kids refer to them as "Mom" and "Dad" when they thought no one else was around. It was amusing, but kind of strange as well.

"Check the drop ship stores." Bellamy said and Clarke nodded, returning to her working quarters as Bellamy sifted through what remained of the meat locker.

Clarke returned some time later with a frown on her face.

"There are enough nuts and wild turnips to ration for a week, maybe two weeks but that's pushing it and we'd be at risk of malnutrition. People are prone to sicknesses when they're malnourished. Anything left here?"

"Nothing. Burned to a crisp. That asshole, Del, is dead to me." He spat.

He wanted to pummel the idiot until he cried not only for mistreating his sister but for ruining things for the rest of the camp.

"Bellamy, we have to hunt."

At her words, his head snapped up and he stood from his crouched position to regard her indignantly.

"That is not an option."

"It's the only one we have. Anyone we can spare goes. I'll lead one party and I'm sure we can get at least five others organized." She stepped away and was promptly pulled back by Bellamy's grip on her arm.

"You want to send people past our territory and into the woods with Grounders lurking everywhere ready to kill us on the spot?"

"Because starving is a much better way to go?"

Bellamy used his hold on her arm to pull her in closer until Clarke had to tilt her head up to hold his gaze.

"I don't want you out there."

"Bellamy, I don't deserve any special treatment. There aren't many injuries today and I'm decent with a weapon. I have to lead one of the hunting groups."

"Fine, then I'll go with you. We can take one other person, maybe Miller and-

"That's ridiculous." She cut in. "You're suggesting that the two best hunters in our camp stay in one group simply to protect me. That's what you're doing, right?"

His jaw clenched but his eyes betrayed his guilt.

"Bell… we can't let our relationship interfere with our leadership. It's not fair to the kids who trust us with their lives."

He let go of her arm and proceeded to glare at the ground.

"You know I'm right." She said gently and he grunted noncommittally. "Bellamy, stop acting like a child."

"I am not acting like a child."

"Yeah, the pout is quite convincing."

"Let's just do this. You want to hunt? Fine." He stormed towards the drop ship, shouting for all available bodies to begin organizing for a hunting trip.

Clarke followed him inside, shaking her head as he snapped at one kid for walking too slowly. She knew his heart was in the right place-it always was- but her head told her what had to be done. All she wanted was to stay locked up in a nice, warm room with Bellamy and revel in his love and protection, but when was that an option? They were co-leaders and that meant sacrifices had to be made. He knew that as much as she did.

"Hey, Griffin, do you happen to be in need of a group?" Wells grinned, holding up a spear.

"You a hunter now, Jaha?" she teased.

"I'll make a better one than you, tiny."

She shoved him playfully.

"I may be short but I'm sneaky and you have no idea how skilled I am with a knife."

That was no lie. Bellamy had a small armory in one corner of their tent, including his gun, a spear, a metal hammer, and several knives of varying sizes and blades. It was impressive and he had taught her the basic use of all of them. She preferred the fluidity a knife provided and she had practiced throwing knives at targets great distances away, per Bellamy's request. He had raised his eyebrows in a pleased manner and she felt more than proud of herself for getting praise from Bellamy Blake.

"I won't challenge that." Wells smiled. "It'd be best to take one more."

"I'm in." Finn appeared with his own spear in one hand.

"Where's Raven?" Clarke asked and a sheepish expression overtook his face.

"She might be working on establishing a connection with the Ark again or in the Ammunitions tent."

"Might be?" Clarke narrowed her eyes. "She doesn't know you're going on the hunting trip, does she?"

"Was I that obvious?"

"You're transparent, man." Wells put in and Finn glowered.

"She's busy, all right? I sit around watching my girlfriend provide for this camp and I owe it to both her and myself to do something worthwhile. I'm the best tracker in this camp. If I can track people through this forestry, clumsy animals will be no problem."

"Fine, we're ready to go then. I'll tell Bellamy."

"I'm surprised he's letting his princess come at all." Finn commented and Wells took a cautions step back as his best friend whirled back with fury in her eyes.

"Unlike you, Finn, Bellamy doesn't feel the need to restrict my freedoms to be the man in the relationship. He respects my ideas and my wishes. He's my boyfriend, not my father." She stalked away and Wells chuckled.

"Wasn't it enough to screw things up with your girlfriend? You need to add Clarke to the Women Who Might Stab You In Your Sleep list?"

"Shut up." Finn growled.

It was no secret that Finn and Raven were fighting. The entire camp heard the shouts the previous night and most saw Finn's stuff get dumped from his tent. Finn had spent the night in Wells tent and hadn't been able to face his girlfriend since. It didn't seem smart to escape on a hunting trip without Raven knowing, but Wells knew it wasn't his place to say anything. Besides, it was freaking hilarious to see the so-called Spacewalker wither at the glare of his bronze-skinned mechanic girlfriend.

* * *

She found him in his tent, scribbling the names of the arranged hunting parties with some charcoal Clarke had found.

"I'm heading out." She announced and he looked up briefly before returning to his task.

She gave an internal sigh. Why was he so difficult?

"You're really going to make me leave without a proper goodbye?"

He dropped the piece of charcoal and walked purposefully over to her. Startled, she instinctively backed away until her back was against a tent wall and he was towering over her, his chocolate eyes intense and boring into hers. She opened her mouth to ask what the hell was going on when his lips crashed into hers and he swallowed her gasp with his tongue.

His hands ran over her arms and waist and then clutched the sides of her face. He broke away from the kiss to press a kiss to her forehead and the crown of her head before returning to her lips.

"Goodbye, my love. Come back to me." He whispered, his breath blowing against her pink lips.

"Always." She promised.

"I love you, Princess."

"I love you too, Bell."

He kissed her forehead one last time and returned to the table with the hunting parties.

"I'll be leaving soon with my own group, which includes Jasper and Harper. There are four other groups of three, not counting yours."

They were all business now as Clarke listed the members of her own group. She exited the tent, looking over her shoulder and her heart warmed as she saw Bellamy staring after her. She smiled and let the flap of the tent fall behind her.

* * *

She realized too late that it was too quiet. The forest was a buzzing hum of life and there were gnats, mosquitoes, butterflies, and all manner of insects infiltrating the air at all times. The underbrush hid boars and rabbits and wild birds. Clarke had been on many trips outside camp, most recently the long hike to the bunker with Bellamy and she felt responsible for all of it.

Finn realized it a second after she did but the arrow that pierced his leg sent him hissing to the ground. More arrows followed but Finn was already down and Wells had pushed her out of harm's way.

"No! Finn!" Clarke shouted, moving towards him.

The blow came from behind and the last thing she heard was Wells bellowing her name before she succumbed to the darkness.

* * *

"It's been two hours since the other groups returned. Clarke's group is the only one missing." Bellamy paced back in forth, wearing a clear path in the dirt.

He was surrounded by Monty, Octavia, Raven, Jasper, and Miller where they were gathered outside the Communications Tent.

"I will fucking shoot him in the ass when I find him." Raven growled, focusing her energy on anger instead of the crippling sorrow threatening to surface.

"As long as we find them." Octavia said, her elegant features twisted in concern.

She liked Finn and Wells and considered them good people, but Clarke had become her closest friend on the ground. She had even envisioned her as a sister because it was obvious she and Bellamy were the real deal. Octavia had always wanted a sister…. It would be too cruel to lose her before she had the chance to tell her that.

"Search party. Four people. We leave now." Bellamy brushed past them to grab his gun from his tent.

It was agreed that Bellamy, Monty, Raven, and Octavia would go out to search for the missing group and Miller and Jasper would watch over the camp until their return. Raven had been busy all day designing walkie-talkies out of the now useless equipment connecting them to the Ark. Each of them had a device in their pockets, as well as guns.

Bellamy and Octavia took the front while Raven and Monty walked a few feet behind them to protect their rear as they trudged through the woods blackened by nighttime.

"We'll find her, Bell." Octavia murmured.

"If those Grounders touch one hair on her blonde head I will rip them limb from limb."

"I'll help you with that."

The Blakes shared a grim smile and continued walking in hyperaware silence of their surroundings.

* * *

When Clarke awoke her hands were tied and she was sprawled against a wall, half leaning on Wells unconscious form.

"Wells. Wells, wake up." She whispered, nudging him with her shoulder.

He groaned and gradually came to.

"Where are we?" he had an aching pain in his ribs and his head hurt from the punch that had knocked him out, but he couldn't move a hand to soothe his pounding temples because his hands were bound like Clarke's.

"You are being held as our prisoners, Sky Warrior, and that is all you must know." Anya appeared with two masked Grounders and Wells eyes widened.

Clarke remembered that Wells hadn't had a chance to leave the camp and get a glimpse of who the Grounders were. This was a terrible first meeting.

"Where is Finn?" Clarke asked, hoping the tremble in her voice wasn't obvious.

She didn't want to lose any more people and Finn was her friend, more because of her friendship with Raven than anything, but still a valuable member of their camp.

"The other boy was not necessary for our plans. One was enough." She gestured to Wells and Clarke's brow furrowed.

"What plans?"

Anya signaled something to one of her men and he approached Clarke with a knife stretched out. Clarke struggled against him and Wells began cursing at the man but the Grounder ignored them and reached behind them to cut the rope restricting their hands.

"You're going to save her, Clarke." Anya said her name with undisguised fury and disgust, but Clarke chose to focus on the little girl shaking and bleeding out on the table in front of her.

"Oh my God. What happened?" Clarke had approached her with Wells warning her to be careful as he followed behind her.

"You blew up our bridge and killed many of our people. She was one of the injured. Your Sky Warriors have enacted casualties on us. It is your burden to bear now. If you do not save Tris," Anya pointed to the girl "your friend will die before you."

One of the Grounders held his knife to Wells' throat and Clarke's pulse sped up with pure fear. She lacked the medical equipment of the camp, the time to work how she needed, and Tris' condition seemed doomed already. Clarke didn't voice any of those concerns, of course, but swallowed her doubts and faced Anya directly.

"I'll do it."

* * *

Failure meant something different on Earth than it did on the Ark. Clarke had been a star student since the first year of grade school, but she remembered failing the first semester of junior year Physics and Mechanics. Her parents had nodded understandingly when she ranted about the need for Mechanics when she would be a doctor like her mother. In the end, she hadn't finished the class because of her arrest and her father's floating, but her first failure had been an unacknowledged one.

On Earth, failing meant death. A misstep or small error on their part could mean the loss of a kid's life. In that moment, Clarke knew her failure would result in more than one death.

Tris was dead, her blood far beyond poisoned and this set off the domino effect of tragedies. Wells was dragged away from a struggling Clarke, the former sentenced to an execution while the latter was being taken to a guarded tent in the Grounder camp. Finn might have been dead, Wells was set to die, and Clarke was being ripped from her friends and her people.

By the time the Grounder deposited her in an empty tent, she had fallen silent. The Grounder had taken off his mask, displaying long ebony hair tied back in a formal braid and ink from his neck down to the body below his armor. Clarke had seen the same designs on Lincoln. It must have bene tribal markings and tattoos. She stored this information away clinically and detachedly, like she always did but her mind could only process one thing.

Her friends were dead, the Grounders would attack the camp and everyone else would die, and she would never see Bellamy again.

"Are you going to kill me?" she asked in a broken whisper the Grounder somehow heard.

"The deal was your friend's life for Tris. You will stay here and serve as our healer."

"You have no healer?"

"She perished in the same explosion Tris suffered her injuries from."

Clarke nodded and turned away from the man to lean against the cot on one side of the room. It was no relief to hear her life would be spared. What was it worth when everyone she loved would be slaughtered?

"You will make a good healer and in time you will be one of us." The man was still talking. "You may think us savages for our wars and our young warriors, but we are stronger this way. Tris was a valiant warrior."

"She was a little girl." Clarke protested, facing the Grounder.

"Did you notice the marks on Tris right shoulder?"

"The four cuts?"

"They are signs of strength. Symbols of our victories. The only remain of our conquests."

Clarke processed that and felt her mouth open.

"_Kills? _That little girl killed four people?"

He nodded impassively.

"How many do you have?"

The warrior began taking off his upper armor, exposing the skin from his neck to his lower abdomen.

"That's a lot." She remarked, keeping her features blank.

"And more than half were after I hurt my knee in the battle with the northern tribes."

Clarke felt a primal instinct overtake her and her brain struggled to catch up with the speed of her movements. A hand had grabbed a medical scalpel as a leg kicked out at the Grounder's knee. He staggered and collapsed as her right hand sliced the scalpel through his throat. Before he could cry out her other hand covered his mouth and she watched the life drain from his eyes before releasing him and the scalpel and bolting from the tent.

She was far from the Grounder camp when it hit her. She had taken a life, exploiting an injury in the human anatomy she was so well studied in to kill a man.

Clarke ran faster as if the stain in her legs and chest would overtake the biting remorse in her soul. She thought she heard familiar voices calling out her name, one in particular nagging at her to respond but before she could open her mouth, she was swinging jarringly through the air after triggering a Grounder trap.

_I didn't watch my step, Bell, I'm sorry _she thought before falling unconscious for the second time that day.

* * *

When he heard the rustling in the bushes, Bellamy's heart sped up and he practically shoved Monty to the side to be the first to approach. He held his gun out in case a Grounder was hiding there, but it was second nature and he only wanted to see one person there. When the groan-clearly a male's groan- rang out, Bellamy shoved the bushes aside and saw Spacewalker clutching his leg as well as his torso.

"Finn!" Raven cried, launching herself to her knees beside him, touching every inch of him to make sure he was there.

Monty had moved away from the reunion, telling Bellamy he'd scout the area ahead but Bellamy had barely noticed his departure. Octavia saw her brother's distraught expression.

"Where are Clarke and Wells?" Octavia asked.

"Grounders took them. They were hunting us. They wanted Clarke and they must have taken Wells to use against her. I thought they would kill me." Finn said gravely and Raven muttered a curse at him before kissing every part of his face.

"We need to find them! They could be torturing them or worse… Bell?" Octavia waited for him to agree with her but she was shocked to see the anguish on his face had been replaced with dispassion.

It was that soldier/cold leader/ obsessive protector face she hated seeing on her brother's face.

"Finn needs to get back to camp. He'll die out here without some sort of treatment. You and Monty know enough to help him."

"I'll make a stretcher for him." Raven said, rushing to find adequate sticks for the process.

"What are you talking about? We can't leave them out here. Clarke-

"Clarke can fend for herself." Bellamy interrupted his sister.

Octavia's mouth dropped.

"What did you say?"

"You heard me. We won't be of any use stumbling through the dark with a man down. The Grounders will take us all out."

"They have Clarke, Bellamy. The girl you claim to love. What happened to ripping the Grounders who hurt her limb from limb? You're leaving her to die?"

His body tensed at her words but he didn't respond. Instead, he pressed the button to his walkie-talkie and ordered Monty to move his ass because they were going back to camp.

"Monty! Report, Monty!"

Static filtered through.

"Where did he go?"

"I don't know, but I'm guessing we're abandoning him too. Another death on your hands, huh, big bro? How much blood is that now?" her sarcasm was acerbic and wounding but she didn't care.

She began the trek to camp alone, knowing Raven and Bellamy would bring Finn back somehow. She felt like a bitch for purposely playing on her brother's faults and regrets, but she was more than angry at him. He was putting his duty as a leader over his duty to Clarke. You don't leave the people you love behind.

Octavia would have continued the search herself if she didn't know for a fact Bellamy would have thrown her over one shoulder to bring her back to camp.

That night, Octavia didn't sleep. She sat in Jasper and Monty's tent, her head on her knees as Jasper cried himself to sleep beside her. She had attempted to comfort her but once the nightmares began she was useless. She knew Bellamy's nightmares could be horrific and that night would be some of his worst, but her pride didn't allow her to seek him out. Let him suffer. Clarke was suffering wherever she was. It was only fair.

Octavia knew she wasn't right to judge her brother's decisions, but Clarke wouldn't have done the same thing. She would be out there that instant if Bellamy's life was on the line. Why had Bellamy chosen _this_?

* * *

Bellamy clutched his head as tears streamed down his face. It was hard to breathe, hard to think, hard to function without her. Octavia had looked at him like he was the deepest, darkest monster in the world and he couldn't blame her. He had made a tough decision again because he had a responsibility to the camp's safety and in return he left Monty, Wells, and Clarke in peril.

Clarke had told him earlier their relationship couldn't interfere with their leadership and he thought honoring her words was what she would have wanted. Yet, here he was running from the nightmares he knew would come if he closed his eyes-not that he could ever sleep peacefully without Clarke snuggled at his side. He had chosen to be a leader because he thought it was the right thing to do, but he'd forgotten that he wasn't a leader without Clarke.

She was the balance he needed, the other side of the imperial coin. He thought he'd made the necessary sacrifice but instead he'd failed them all, most importantly he'd failed Clarke.

_I'm sorry, Clarke. I'm sorry I'm such a fuck-up._

There would be no sleep that night. Not for Bellamy or Octavia and Jasper or Monty and Clarke.

Most of all there would never again be _sleep_ for Wells Jaha. There was only the final slumber, the ephemeral passage of a mortal from life to death…


	16. Chapter 16

**I have to admit that I always planned to kill Wells because I wanted to explore his death's effect on Clarke. I felt on the show it was glossed over when Wells was her best friend since childhood and a little girl had sliced his throat open, yet Clarke didn't really mourn him because by the end of that episode they had her having sex with Finn (I was not amused)**

**I loved Wells on the show (not so much in the book) so I hope to do his passing justice here.**

**Thanks for reviewing and following the story! Also, please check out my new crossover story that's Supernatural/The 100 with Bellarke as a main relationship.**

**Part XVI**

"Wake up, _girl_. Wake up!" a boot kicked Clarke roughly awake and she jolted into a sitting position, taking in everything at once.

She was a prisoner at the Grounder camp again, but Anya had added more than one guard on her, as well as chaining Clarke to a tree. The chain was long and cuffed to her hands and the towering Grounder smirking evilly down at her had taken the end of the chain in his hands. He tugged forward and Clarke's hands scraped against the ground, blocking the main force from her face. She coughed, spitting dirt away and the man chuckled.

"This is what you've been up against? Pathetic children giving you too much trouble, Anya? I'm surprised." He jeered and Anya glared but stayed silent.

Clarke assumed this man was higher up on the chain of command which brought to mind that the Grounders were more organized then she'd given them credit for. They'd thought Anya was the leader of the tribe, but what if she was only the leader of a small part of the tribe?

"Do not underestimate them, Tristan." Anya warned but he waved her off rudely.

"I would kill this one myself right now, but I wouldn't want to waste any strength. Finish her off." He ordered and Anya's eyes narrowed at the direct command. "Do not forget who is in charge here."

Fire exploded into the sky and Clarke stared transfixed as some method of flares were used to alert the Grounders of incoming troops.

"Those must be Morin's army. He was meant to be here hours ago, that idiot." Tristan muttered. "We'll regroup with them. You make sure to cover the left flank. Take care of the girl and catch up. The war is about to begin."

He disappeared into the trees and Clarke adjusted her position so she was kneeling again. Anya was snarling after Tristan but when her eyes met Clarke's her mouth tightened. She signaled for one particularly large Grounder to move forward and Clarke winced as he pulled her up by her chains, hurting her wrists in the process.

"You know what to do. Make it quick." Anya said and she too was gone.

Clarke wanted to plead for mercy or convince the man her people needed her and war could be prevented but before she had a chance to choose her words, the Grounder knocked her over the head with a blunt object and she was unconscious in his arms.

Unbeknownst to her, the Grounder was not her executioner but her savior. Lincoln lifted Clarke onto his horse, taking his mask off to navigate the dark terrain better. He led the horse to the entrance of the underground tunnels that run through the forest and jumped off with Clarke in his arms. He leaned her up against the wall of the main tunnel and took his canteen out. Lincoln quickly splashed the contents of the canteen on Clarke's face, instantly awakening her to sputtering lucidity.

"Wha-what happened? Lincoln?"

He nodded once and helped her to her feet.

"You saved my life. Thank you."

"There's no need for thank yous. You have a duty to fulfill to your camp and to your people. They need you back to lead them."

"Is that the only reason you helped me?" she asked knowingly but his emerald eyes didn't betray any emotion.

"I don't particularly care about the fate of your camp but Octavia has mentioned things that are worth fighting for. You, for one."

"Me?"

"Octavia has mentioned you every time we've met. She admires you, cares about you almost as much as she does her brother."

"I think the same goes for you."

Lincoln tilted his head in acceptance of the compliment.

"We have to start moving."

"Through these?" she pointed to the mouth of the tunnel.

"They run through miles of woodland. There's one exit close to your camp."

"Okay." She gestured for him to lead and walked after him.

They hadn't been walking long before Clarke ventured a thought that had been nagging at her since she'd woken.

"I wasn't taken alone. There was a boy… my friend, Wells. Did-did you happen to see him anywhere?"

Lincoln stopped and Clarke crashed into his back with an audible thump. He turned to catch her arms and stabilize her, but she saw the pity in his eyes before he even spoke.

"Your friend did not make it."

She felt cold and not just because the tunnels were damp and her clothes were half-torn. It had nothing to do with rational analyses of climatology or environmental data. It was the feeling of loss hitting her square in the chest as staggeringly as it had when her father had been floated before her eyes. Lincoln, sensing her grief, tightened the hold on her arms and gently shook her.

"Life is eternal, Clarke, but the body is not. We live on in souls, in memories, and in the people who love us. Your friend will not be forgotten, will he?" at her immediate head shake he continued "Then, there is nothing to worry about. Mourning the deceased is an honor to the time they spent with us, but the true honor is living using what they've given us: wisdom, love, guidance. Whatever it may be. It is enough."

Clarke let his words sink in and took a deep breath. He was right. She would mourn Wells and miss him every day, but she would not allow herself to suffer over another death when so many more could come if she wasted any time. She had a responsibility to the camp and to herself. Wells always told her she was a born leader, though he was the one planning to campaign for Chancellor of the Ark. Wells had been her best friend and her rock growing up as a Phoenix recluse. He would always hold a place in her heart and to his death he had been a good man and a worthy friend. She had no doubt he was in the land of angels-the heaven he'd always believed in- and smiling down at her.

"Thank you." She whispered and Lincoln simply released her arms and continued to walk through the tunnels, Clarke moving to walk at his side.

* * *

Bellamy slammed his hands down on the metal table in front of him with a growl of irritation. Octavia had basically locked him in the drop ship to "cool down" after he'd yelled at Tim for falling asleep on guard duty and then at Raven and Jasper for not planting the mines fast enough. He'd been on edge the whole day and it was wonder why. Clarke was missing and as much as he was trying to keep it together, the cracks were becoming alarmingly visible.

Jasper begged him to send out search parties for Monty, Clarke, and Wells, but Bellamy wrote him off telling him the camp had to stay focused on crucial matters. He knew they were calling him "dick" and "asshole" behind his back, knew Octavia wanted him as far from her as possible, but he had made his decision and he had to stick by it. Being the leader was all he had left and even that didn't feel the same without Clarke nearby, prepared to keep him in line.

The others were working outside and Bellamy was left to strategize battle plans with a diorama he'd created with spare junk. He had defensive attacks planned and defense precautions ready, but with the morale of the kids outside, he didn't think they would succeed. Myles moaned from his prone position on the medical table pushed to one side of the room and Bellamy sighed. Octavia and Raven had cleaned the wound and rubbed the herbal paste on it, but Octavia said she couldn't stich it without knowing what weapon had caused the wound and if any pieces of it remained in the wound. Clarke's tutelage had not extended that far and her absence was felt every way he turned.

The curtains at the entrance of the ship were pushed open and Jasper walked through, his rifle slung haphazardly on his back. He didn't meet Bellamy's eyes as he walked in, choosing instead to make his way to the upper level of the ship without a word exchanged. Bellamy wouldn't stand for that, though.

"Problem, Jasper?"

Jasper froze on the ladder and whirled on him with shaky anger dominating his thin features.

"I'd rather not get my face bashed in courtesy of your fists so… no, no problem."

"Is this about Monty?"

Jasper sighed in exasperation and dropped down from the ladder.

"The fact that my best friend is out there, possibly dead, and I can't do anything about it hurts like hell, but this is about more than just him. It's about Wells too. And it's about Clarke."

Her name coming from someone else stung and Bellamy felt the weight of the monosyllable deep in his chest.

"Clarke can take care of herself." Bellamy finally said and Jasper scoffed.

"You really believe that or is that what you say to keep the demons at bay?"

Bellamy shot him a dark look but Jasper continued. He figured he had nothing to lose since they were on the verge of a battle to the death.

"It doesn't matter if she can take care of herself. It matters that you aren't willing to go after her. She's supposed to be the only person apart from Octavia you love. You have the mistaken belief that love leads to weakness. No one will think less of you for taking the time to search for those left behind, you know? You want this camp to follow you and respect you for more than your physical strength and threatening words? Show them you give a damn."

Jasper turned back to the ladder and disappeared in his pursuit for the gunpowder Raven had asked for, but Bellamy remained in the same spot, staring into empty space.

He was tearing apart at the seams and if Jasper could see it so clearly, what were the others thinking? Bellamy decided it was time to drop the act. He needed Clarke to win this war and to regain sanity in the messed up world they were struggling with. He would lead the search party himself.

"W-water. Please. Please, water." A voice croaked and Bellamy noticed Myles was semi-conscious and attempting to sit up.

"You need to stay still. Your wound isn't clean. Stay put. I'll get you some water." Bellamy promised and left the drop ship.

After giving the kid a cup of water, he would take Finn, Jasper, and a couple others on the search for Clarke, Wells, and Monty.

The plan was solidifying in his mind as he filled the metal container, simultaneously going over the best routes through the forest with the best chance at being Grounder-free. He was on his way back to the drop ship when the walkie-talkie strapped to his belt crackled to life. Raven had been able to take apart the radio and video system they'd once use to communicate with the Ark to fashion five walkie-talkies. Monty had his when he disappeared and apart from Bellamy, Jasper, Raven, and Miller had a walkie-talkie. Miller was busy on the wall and he'd seen Raven talking to Finn earlier, which left Jasper.

"You don't have to do this Murphy. Let me go and we can work something out." Jasper said, doing his best to keep his voice steady.

"Sure you will. We both know hell will break loose when you tell Bellamy." Murphy simpered.

"Tell Bellamy what?"

Bellamy spoke into the walkie-talkie and heard mocking laughter on the other end.

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

Bellamy broke into a sprint at the taunt and saw the drop ship ramp closing, effectively locking Murphy, Jasper, and the wounded Myles inside.

"If anyone tries to come in, I'll kill him. That means you, Bellamy." Murphy snarled.

Bellamy's eyes shut in defeat as he stood outside the locked ship. Murphy must have surprised Jasper and taken his gun. He had control of all the camp's gunpowder and ammunition stored in the upper level of the ship. All the medicine and supplies Clarke had built up in her small medical bay was at his hands as well.

"Fuck." He said.

"That bad?" Raven had walked over and he shot her a look.

"Murphy took two people hostage, our ammunitions and medicine is inside, and we now have to negotiate with a psycho who's gone on murder sprees."

"Oh shit."

"Exactly."

"What do we do?" her tone was all business and he appreciated her drive.

Bellamy lowered his voice and ensured his walkie-talkie was off before telling her about the panel in the back of the ship that led to the control box under the floor.

"All the systems can be regulated from that box." Raven said, following his train of thought.

"Including the ramp?"

"I'll get it open. I have to see if the panel can be unscrewed or jimmied open. Depending on what model this ship is, the panel might have a security lock that only a keycard mechanism on the Ark could open."

"If that's the case, we're screwed."

"Better pray it isn't." she raised her eyebrows and jogged quietly to the back of the ship.

"I'm not the praying type." He mumbled, watching the drop ship carefully.

* * *

The tunnels were narrow and Clarke had never been claustrophobic (despite being locked in solitary confinement for six months) but the darkness of the passage was oppressive. She could see the effect on Lincoln beside her. He had stepped closer to her and the light from his torch was the only thing illuminating the way. Lincoln's eyes were narrowed and alert, his free hand on the weapon at his side-a knife presumably.

"What is it?" she asked in a cautious whisper.

"When you first saw my people, you assumed we were the only survivors." He said it as a statement.

"Yes, we did."

"You were wrong."

The sounds of rowdy yells and shrill laughter reminiscent of the hyena Clarke had read about in Earth Skills reached them and Lincoln held a hand up, stopping behind a corner.

"I'm guessing whatever is behind this wall is not friendly?"

"Try cannibalistic."

"Who are they?"

"Reapers. That's all you want to know about them. My tribe has faced many of these monsters. We defeat them but they keep coming. They've taken many warriors, captured them and devoured them later. That is what they survive on: human flesh."

Clarke shivered at his words and peeked around the edge of the wall. It took all her self-control to retain a gasp at the sight of the Reapers. They wore ragged clothing made of skins and furs. There were close to thirty of them gathered in a circle, playing with bones and what had to be leftover intestines.

"Clarke." Lincoln pulled her back as one of the Reapers whirled in their direction, tilting its head questioningly.

"How are we going to make it past them?"

"I'm going to distract them, lead them away from here, and you will return to camp and presage your people of the impending battle. Tristan is a fierce man with no compassion and skewed morals. He follows the edicts of the Chief and no one else. He's dangerous."

One of the Reapers was moving away from the herd, as if he were aware of fresh meat lingering nearby. Lincoln extinguished his torch and grabbed Clarke's arm, leaning down to whisper instructions urgently in her ear.

"The scouts will come first. You must leave the area before they arrive. When the warriors are outside your gates… it will be too late. Go towards the sea. Your maps must have the coastline outlined. There are tribes near the water more lenient than mine. Seek shelter there. Get Octavia to safety and give her this." He removed the sheathed blade he had strapped over one shoulder and pushed it into her hands.

"Lincoln, what about you?"

"Don't concern yourself with my fate. Run and don't stop running until you've reached your camp."

And with that he was gone. She heard the commotion he caused as he banged against the walls and called out insults to the Reapers, who immediately snarled back and chased him through an adjacent tunnel. Clarke waited a couple minutes before dashing from behind the corner and heading to the main tunnel. Her attention was caught by a flash of motion in her peripheral vision and she stopped when she saw the bronze arm sticking out of a mine cart.

Clarke walked up to the cart and clapped a hand to her mouth when she saw what lay inside. Piles of mutilated Grounders were stacked with chopped arms, legs, and heads poking every which way. A man's torso and head stared up at her and she swore she saw the eyes blink and gaze imploringly at her before she backed away and ran for the tunnels that would lead her to her home-to Bellamy.

* * *

Bellamy had had a lot of bad ideas, but he had to admit this took the cake. Octavia had protested, of course, but he'd convinced her he knew what he was doing (he didn't) and with Jasper's life hanging in the balance, he wouldn't risk it. Murphy wanted revenge against him after all and Bellamy would play along until Raven worked her magic below ship.

The exchange had been quick and Jasper was rolling at Octavia's feet as Bellamy marched inside, the ramp closing ominously behind him. He only had his walkie-talkie in one hand, having left his gun with Octavia.

"Well, well Bellamy Blake. This has been a long time coming, don't you think?" Murphy grinned.

"Screw you." Bellamy spat.

"That's the spirit. Antagonize the guy with the gun. You aren't the brains of this operation, huh? Missing the princess yet?"

Bellamy growled and he moved forward but Murphy had already raised his gun and fired warning shots at the floor between them. Bellamy froze where he was, putting his hands up in surrender. Octavia's worried voice crackled through the walkie-talkie but Murphy ignored it.

"Let's get one thing straight here. You aren't in charge anymore."

"Murphy, we can end all this right now. If you give yourself up I'll-

"You'll what? Offer me a pardon for my crimes? Pat me on the back for my contribution to the camp? You and I both know this ends when one of us hits the floor and never stands back up. Unfortunately for you, I have the gun and I have the demands. Here's what you're going to do. See that rope?"

Bellamy glanced at the red rope fashioned from seatbelts.

"Tie it into a nice little loop and tie it right there." Murphy pointed and Bellamy lowered the walkie-talkie to the floor to do what was ordered. "That's it. Pull it up tight. Good. What does that look like to you, Bellamy?"

Bellamy's blood went cold before he answered.

"A noose."

"Right again. It's a noose and you know where it's going? Around your traitorous neck." Murphy hissed.

"Murphy-

"Now!" he aimed the gun at Bellamy's head.

Bellamy's jaw clenched as he stepped up to the stool that put him at the same height as the swinging noose.

"What do you want me to say? You want me to apologize for banishing you?"

"You've got it all wrong, Bellamy. I don't want you to _say _anything. I want you to _feel _pain and desolation and then when I'm ready for it, I want you to die."

Murphy said the last word with malefic pleasure and Bellamy's eyebrows were drawn together in revulsion.

"This is insane. The Grounders are coming-

"That won't be your problem anymore. You won't live long enough to fight the war you're so desperate to have. Put it over your head." Murphy gestured to the noose and at Bellamy's hesitation, he fired more shots at the ship, the bullets bouncing back to hit the floor.

Octavia's voice filtered through the walkie-talkie again but he couldn't focus on her anymore. He put the rope around his neck, the rough material foretelling the horror of hanging from those nylon strands. He swallowed audibly but glared hatefully at Murphy as if nothing else was wrong. Murphy laughed.

"You're so brave, aren't you? Admit it, you came in here thinking you could turn this thing around. That you were stronger than me and smarter. I'm just a psycho, right? How do you feel now, Bellamy? No friends or loyal dogs to rescue you."

He began pulling down on the rope, tightening its grip around Bellamy's neck. Bellamy gasped at the pressure on his trachea and went on the tips of his feet to support the noose on his neck with his hands. If he could hold on long enough, Raven would get the ship open and Miller or Octavia would shoot the lunatic from behind and rid them all of one problem, at least.

"I gotta hand it to you, though. You have those stupid kids fooled. They all look up to you. Almost as much as they look up to Clarke. _Almost._" He snickered.

Bellamy's fists clenched around the rope, going white with the force he was exerting. Murphy was not entitled to use her name. It was filthy coming off his tongue and Bellamy swore if he lived through this, Murphy would know what true suffering was like. The whole mess had started when the bastard made a hit list for the Phoenix class and put Clarke on it.

"You got everything figured out, Murphy? You think you're just gonna walk out of here?"

"Well, I think the Princess is dead."

Bellamy's heart lurched as his enemy voiced the thought that had been plaguing him the minute Clarke left his sight.

"And I know the King's about to die, so who's really gonna lead these people?" Murphy paused and then smiled confidently. "Me."

Bellamy wanted to tell him to fuck himself and he was more fucking crazy than he'd initially thought if he figured he could kill Bellamy and stride out, declaring himself leader. He would have said it too, but Murphy was pulling tighter on the noose and it was becoming increasingly harder to breathe, let alone talk.

"I know what you're thinking. People loved you, why would they turn on you? Don't forget the fickle nature of humans and in a group of delinquent teenagers? Trust me, I'm not worried. Sure, I'll have to kill your Grounder Pounder little sister-

Bellamy lunged forward with one leg, using Murphy's unintentional proximity as a target, but he darted back before he could do serious damage. Murphy tugged harshly on the rope and this time Bellamy could only pant for meager breaths.

A fizzle of electricity followed by a yelp of surprise and pain came from below the ship.

"That must be her right now. I can cross it off my list." Murphy aimed his gun at the floor and shot all the cartridge out of his gun downwards.

"No!" Bellamy bellowed.

It wasn't his sister, but it was at least one person he'd grown to care about. Raven was down there, trying to help him and from the silence following Murphy's shots, she'd been hit. Bellamy began struggling to put his hands through the open space in the noose. He could wiggle out if he tried hard enough.

"Oh no, you don't." Murphy hissed before kicking the stool out from under him.

Bellamy wheezed for oxygen as his body jerked with shock, but his energy was waning fast and if he didn't get air soon…

The drop ship's ramp began lowering and Murphy, who had been smiling up at his achievement, rushed to scurry up the ladder to the second level of the ship, closing the hatch behind him. He saw he'd landed in the stored ammunitions area and formed an easy escape plan. He would be dying today.

On the lower level, a frantic Octavia had released the rope choking her brother and with Jasper's help she was holding her gasping brother up.

"You'll be okay. Breathe, Bell. Please, breathe." She murmured soothingly.

He regained his breathing and felt his heart rate normalize. Jasper had made his way to the ladder and cursed when he felt the weight placed over the hatch to prevent access.

"Murphy! Murphy, it's over! Give it up." Bellamy snarled, ignoring the strain lingering in his vocal chords.

He and Jasper began slamming their combined force at the hatch and just when it pushed open, an explosion sounded from above. When they clambered up top, they were met with a hole in the wall and the back of Murphy's jacket as he ran away into the woods he'd been banished to.

"The gunpowder." Jasper pointed out. "It's all wasted."

Bellamy's hands shook with unrestrained rage.

"Let me guess, we're going after Murphy now?" Jasper managed to sound ironic even in times as difficult as those and Bellamy let his lips quirk slightly.

"The Grounders will take care of him. We're going after Clarke, Monty, and Wells."

Jasper's eyes widened as Bellamy continued.

"You were right, Jasper. We don't abandon our own. I made a rash call in the forest, but I know what we have to do now. Two guns, just you and me. The others can stay working on the wall. We lost a day because of this. Raven!" he called down the hatch, waiting for the mechanic to show herself to both thank her for her efforts and order her to gather the grenades she'd been working on in her own tent.

They had no gunpowder, but the grenades were handy.

"Bellamy, wait." Jasper called him back and when Bellamy turned he was met with Jasper's arms. "Thank you."

The hug was brief but when Jasper pulled back he gave him a sincere smile and Bellamy had to return it.

"You've come a long way from 'whatever the hell we want'." Jasper added and Bellamy huffed a laugh.

The first few days on Earth had been slightly chaotic and his live free, die hard motto hadn't been the best when used on a group of criminal minors. Clarke had led him down a different path. Clarke had saved them all.

As if her memory evoked a shift in the universe, Jasper's walkie-talkie erupted with Miller's shouts.

"All gunners movement at the south wall! I repeat, movement by the south wall! Something's coming, moving fast!"

Bellamy and Jasper shared a look before hurrying below.

* * *

She'd heard the explosion from the exit of the tunnels. She couldn't be more than a half mile from camp now so she knew it had come from there.

Clarke began sprinting, using all the speed she could muster, ignoring the weariness in her entire body and specifically the pain in her limbs. She ran until she heard Miller's booming voice and saw the gates opening for her arrival. She ran until she saw _him_ and then she wasn't running anymore. She was in his arms.

* * *

Bellamy hadn't processed Miller's words until he saw the blur of blonde hair heading straight for him. It was only when he caught Clarke, pressing her into his chest as his arms went around her waist that the truth sunk in. Clarke was back. She was safe and she was _here_.

He released her but kept his eyes trained on hers, their breathing equally halting, she from running, and he from being hung by the neck and dangled over death.

Their reunion was far from over but there were pressing issues that had to be dealt with, primarily the arrival of the Grounders.

"Clarke, thank God!" Jasper had reached over to embrace her and she patted his back as he pulled back. "Where's Monty?" he asked expectantly.

Clarke looked over at Bellamy.

"Monty's gone?"

He nodded.

"I'm sorry, Jasper. I wasn't with him."

Jasper's face fell.

"Oh. Is Wells okay?"

Clarke's eyes glazed over with barely disguised sorrow. Bellamy moved to comfort her but she backed away and instead turned to face the surrounding crowd.

"There is a Grounder army of a size we could never have fathomed coming. They'll be here before nightfall. We have to leave camp."

Bellamy's eyes narrowed at the words and the teenagers began mumbling fearfully among themselves. Before Bellamy could pull Clarke aside and ask her what the hell had happened out there, Octavia beat him to it. The younger Blake had instantly recognized the blade Clarke carried over one arm. She knew it was Lincoln's.

"Where is he?" she demanded and Clarke bowed her head.

"I'm sorry." She handed over the blade and Octavia's small hands closed around it with a hard exhale. "He saved me. He's the reason I made it back at all."

"He told you about the army? About everything?"

"Yes."

"Then we have to listen." Octavia said faithfully.

"No." Bellamy cut in and the girls looked over to see his face hardened and set in the mode both were familiar with. "Where would we be safer than behind these walls? The Grounders are bringing an army, I say let them!"

"Bell, we aren't ready." Octavia contradicted.

"They aren't here yet. We have time." He brushed her off and turned to the now silent mob.

Bellamy spoke about the land they'd fought for and the camp they'd raised with their own hands.

"We are Grounders now and this belongs to us! Who can dare take our home from us?!"

Clarke watched with mingled pride and disillusion as he rallied the crowed with his speech. The pure emotion spilled from every syllable and the draw Bellamy always carried with his personality had never been more evident. Still, Bellamy hadn't seen the Grounder camp or met Tristan or even learned what Reapers were. She had and as co-leader, she had her own duty.

It didn't feel good speaking against Bellamy, but she did what she had to do. The kids had listened and she hadn't heard one complaint at her command to pack what they could manage and go.

The look of betrayal on Bellamy's face had caused an ache in her chest and she was almost thankful when Raven stumbled from behind the drop ship, clutching her bloody stomach. Finn told her about Murphy's explosive escape and what he'd tried to do. Finn carried Raven into the drop ship at Clarke's say and soon she was left alone with Bellamy.

"Bell-

"It's the wrong decision, Clarke." His tone was firm and nearly aggressive.

"The decision's been made."

"Based on what? What aren't you telling me? You don't believe we can take on the Grounders?"

She brushed a hand over her face and met his gaze directly.

"No."

"Clarke, tell me what happened to you. Right now."

"It's a long story. It's not the time to tell it."

"Clarke-

"As leaders we make the choices we think are correct. I made the choice to go hunting. You made the choice to keep the camp going without searching for me. I'm making this decision on my instincts too."

The reminder of his choice made him wince and Clarke, seeing this, brought her palm to his cheek.

"I'm not blaming you for anything. You did what you thought was right and I'm still breathing, still here with you, okay? Bellamy, there are things I saw and did out there I haven't come to terms with. I need you to help me through it, but right now I need to help Raven and you need to pack our tent for the journey towards the coast. It's the safest place to go."

Bellamy's irritation with her decision had dissipated, but he was left with more uneasiness than before.

"Clarke, when you were gone, something happened to me."

One of his hands had gone to his throat and when he moved it, Clarke saw angry red marks imprinted in a circle around his throat.

"Oh my God, is that-

"Murphy tried to kill me. Hung me in the drop ship."

Clarke's eyes shut as she imagined Bellamy lifeless and hanging from a noose, never to hold her or touch her again.

"Hey, like you said, I'm still breathing, right? We're alive." He pulled her into his arms again and she almost let the tears (long overdue) fall.

"I love you, Bellamy." She whispered.

"I love you, Clarke."

"Even if you think I'm doing the wrong thing?"

"Even then."

Their second embrace didn't last much longer than the first because of the tasks each had weighing down on them, but it was enough.

Bellamy felt the balance return to him with Clarke's presence and Clarke's nerves steadied as she breathed him in. He was love and warmth and comfort all at once and she needed to inhale him because she'd lost many things in those hours she'd been taken from camp. When the time came to face those facts head-on Clarke knew she couldn't do it alone.


	17. Chapter 17

**Ok so this will be the last chapter of this story until the 100 returns in October because I use the canon plot to twist and make my own :) Until then please follow my other two stories, which are AU and give a nice reimagining of Bellamy and Clarke. Thanks for all the reviews and support for my stories, guys. I love you all!**

**Part XVII**

Raven's scream of agony rang out through the camp, making more than one teenager wince and fidget nervously. Clarke was the only one acting cool and collected as if she hadn't just pressed a burning blade to her friend's bullet wound.

"That should stop the external bleeding." Clarke sighed, putting down the knife.

Finn gripped his girlfriend's hand tightly.

"Can she walk?"

"And where exactly would she be walking to?" Bellamy stood on the other side of the medical table, arms crossed and expression closed-off.

He'd kept his visage cold the second they entered the drop ship and Clarke was astounded how easily he slipped into the role of Rebel Leader. All traces of the man who'd told her he loved her no matter what choices she made were gone.

"To the coast to find the sea tribes." Finn responded.

Clarke had filled them in on what Lincoln had said as she worked on Raven, only omitting her experience in the Grounder camp and what exactly she'd had to do to escape the first time. She had taken a life in cold blood and though she was rational enough to agree it was for survival and the survival of her people, it was still a murder and not a merciful death like she'd granted Atom.

"You seem pretty eager to run, Spacewalker. The coward inside you's bursting to come out, isn't it?"

Finn's eyes narrowed at the taunt in Bellamy's voice and Clarke repressed the urge to roll her eyes.

"Can you two not have a pissing contest right now? I'm literally on my deathbed here." Raven growled and Clarke appreciated the mechanic's forwardness.

"Raven's right. We don't have the time to waste on arguing. We need to go. Clarke, can she walk or not?"

"No. We have to carry her to move her."

"The hell you will. I'm good to go!" Raven protested, moving to sit up and yelping in pain at the attempt.

"Hey, listen to me." Clarke bent closer to her, blue eyes blazing imperatively. "That bullet is still inside you. If by some miracle there's no internal bleeding, it might hold until we get somewhere safe, but you are not walking there. Is that clear?"

Raven sighed in reluctant admission and nodded.

"Yeah."

"I'll get the stretcher." Finn offered.

"Can't run away fast enough, huh? Real brave." Bellamy taunted and Finn's eyes narrowed.

"Dying in a fight you can't win isn't brave, Bellamy, it's stupid."

"Spoken like every coward who's ever run from a fight." Bellamy had sauntered forward, using the inches he had on Finn to glower down at him.

Finn didn't back down and his usually light brown eyes were dark with barely concealed rage.

"All right, that's enough. It's time to go." Clarke cut in.

"And if they follow? It's a 120 mile walk to the ocean." Bellamy said.

"Look, we're wasting time. If he wants to stay, he can stay." Finn left the drop ship to bring back the stretcher.

"No, he can't." Clarke said, too late for Finn to hear but Bellamy heard it.

He had moved away from the center of the room turned toward a gray wall and Clarke knew he was purposely putting distance between them.

"Clarke." Raven's voice called her over. "Did you happen to find any sulfur out there? I know you were busy hauling ass and escaping those Grounders, but it's worth a shot."

"No, I'm sorry. I didn't think to look for any. We all out of gunpowder?"

The mechanic nodded gravely.

"No more bullets apart from the ones in the available guns. Murphy's fault."

"How did he even get a gun?"

"Long story." Raven huffed. "Let's just say we're lucky he shot me and not the fuel tank or we wouldn't be here to tell the tale."

"Wait, there's rocket fuel down there? Enough to build a bomb?" Clarke felt excitement rising in her chest and chanced a look at Bellamy, but he wasn't acknowledging anything around him so she glanced back at Raven.

"Enough to build a hundred bombs but without any gunpowder, it's useless."

"Damn it."

"Agreed." Raven shifted on the pillow and Clarke saw her eyes begin to droop.

"Don't strain yourself, Raven. Rest."

Raven didn't respond and Clarke figured she would be and out of conscious intermittingly. The blonde straightened and approached Bellamy with careful steps. He met her gaze when she stopped in front of him but stayed silent.

"Bell." She raised a pale hand to his tanned cheek. "We can't do this without you. _I_ can't do this without you."

"What do you want me to say, Clarke?"

"I want you to say that you're with us."

"You know I don't agree with this."

"I know that but there's something else I know, something more important. Those kids out there? They listen to you."

"They're lining up to go. They clearly listen to you more."

His eyes were misting over and Clarke knew he was grappling with his biggest fears: failure and weakness. He thought he'd failed the camp because they were being forced to flee their home. It was Bellamy's nature to self-deprecate.

"I gave them an easy choice, but minutes ago they were ready to fight and _die_ for you. You inspire them, Bellamy, you have from the beginning."

She paused to let the words sink in.

"And I'm afraid we're going to need that again before this day is through. I don't want to run away and leave all we've worked for behind, but this war is bigger than us."

"It doesn't have to be. Those Reapers you mentioned. Maybe they can help. The enemy of my enemy is my friend."

"Not this enemy. Trust me, they are barbaric cannibals. They'd rather eat us than ally with us."

His brow furrowed.

"Clarke-

"Bellamy, we have to go. We have to go now."

He took a deep breath and exhaled sharply.

"Okay."

* * *

Clarke stood at the gates watching her people leaving in a concentrated mass. Octavia had taken the lead with Jasper and Miller on either side and the rest of the 100 filed in, ragged knapsacks over one shoulder and makeshift weapons in their shaky hands.

Raven and Myles were in the quickly-made stretchers. Clarke had looked over the injured boy briefly but his injuries weren't as severe as Raven's and Octavia had done what she could stitching cuts and cleaning scrapes. Clarke was proud of her, of all of them really.

Finn hissed as he passed her and Clarke frowned as a crimson stain spread on his left ankle.

"Finn, you're bleeding."

He was holding one end of Raven's stretcher, adding a strain to his wound but he ignored her concern.

"I took an arrow to the leg. It's nothing I can't handle."

"If you had stitches, they're torn."

"I'll manage." He said curtly, tightening the grip on Raven's stretcher.

Clarke didn't bother arguing. It was ironic how two men as different as Bellamy and Finn could be so absurdly similar. Both stubborn and hard-headed with their principles. Both highly protective of those they loved, to a degree of risking their own health and well-being.

At the thought of Bellamy, Clarke scanned the departing crowd and not seeing her boyfriend, turned back to the interior of camp. There he was. Bellamy stared at the remains of their settlement, melancholia written in his eyes. He turned to face her when she trudged over fallen leaves and twigs to reach him.

"You did good here, Bell."

"14 dead."

"86 alive. You did good." She insisted and he regarded her thoughtfully before nodding.

As Bellamy out the last bonfire, Clarke wondered what would happen. Yes, she was the one making orders and moving the camp, but she wasn't psychic. She didn't know if the coast was any safer than the forest.

"You ready?" Bellamy touched her arm and she looked up at him.

"Yeah, but for what?"

"I wish I knew."

* * *

They had made it less than a mile. Less than a mile before a scout launched a blade into a kid's face, raising the death count to 15.

They had rushed to their forlorn camp, shutting the walls behind them as if that was enough. The kids were panicked and Clarke couldn't blame them. She wasn't feeling all that stable herself.

"Where are they? Why aren't they attacking?" Bellamy asked, scanning the area through the sight of his rifle.

Clarke had climbed up beside him, using the elevated platform to look out at the woods that had promised their deaths.

"Because we're doing exactly what they wanted us to do." She realized.

"What are you talking about?" Finn questioned and Clarke saw he and Octavia had moved closer to hear the conversation.

"Lincoln said the scouts would be the first ones to strike." Clarke explained.

"If it's just scouts, we can fight our way out. That's what Lincoln would do." Octavia urged.

"We're done listening to that Grounder. He wanted us to run and look what that got us. Another corpse." Bellamy grunted, jumping down beside his sister.

"We'll have more if we stay here. Clarke, we can still do this. I agree with Octavia." Finn added.

"Looking at you, Princess. This is the ultimate fight or flight. Which will it be?" Bellamy asked and Clarke had to take a moment to look back out over the wall.

The expectant looks on Finn, Octavia, and Bellamy's faces told her she had the decision once again. She'd gone from offering Bellamy advice on leading the chaotic 100 delinquents to becoming his equal in leadership and making the most difficult choices herself.

She sighed and hopped down in one fluid motion, prepared to ask Bellamy what the plan of attack was when Finn grabbed her arm.

"Clarke, we have to leave this place."

"Lincoln told me to get back before the scouts arrived. Scouts, Finn. As in more than one. They're already here!"

He let go of her as she faced Bellamy.

"Looks like you're getting your fight."

* * *

"We have enough bullets for the twenty guns assigned to each gunner, including me. No more, no less. Raven also cooked up grenades and some walkie-talkies to communicate with the gunners in the foxholes and on the wall." Bellamy gestured to artillery laid out on the medical table in the drop ship.

Finn raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced.

"That's it? Twenty guns, three grenades, and walkie-talkies?"

"The main entrance to our gates are mined." Bellamy glared.

"Partially mined. Thanks to Murphy. Stupid bastard." Raven snarled under her breath.

Raven, Finn, Bellamy, and Clarke had gathered inside the drop ship to sketch out the battle plan and so far their progress was quite sad, not to mention Bellamy and Finn were constantly on the verge of throwing punches at each other.

"Three grenades won't do much, Bell."

He gave Clarke an apologetic shrug.

"We'll have to make them last. The main route to the camp is mined and the gunners in the foxholes will weaken their right and left flanks. We need to hold them off, tire them out."

"That's your grand plan? Tire out a massive Grounder army with our little gun cache?" Finn asked sardonically.

"Any brilliant ideas to offer, Spacewalker, or are you content with shooting down all of mine while being completely useless as an obnoxious bonus?"

Clarke had tuned out the boys' argument as she analyzed the diorama Bellamy had constructed. Her eyes were focused on the drop ship as she remembered Raven's words from before.

"It can't be that simple." She murmured but her voice carried in the pause between Bellamy's next retort so that everyone was watching Clarke.

Bellamy saw the gears turning in her head and he knew Clarke's next words would be better than anything he could come up with. After all, she was the brains behind his brawns and the mind behind his power. Bellamy liked to think he acted like the heart of the camp, building up passion and feeling to rouse the camp as Clarke calculated the best course of action.

"You said there was enough rocket fuel under this ship to build a hundred bombs." She addressed Raven, who blinked in confusion.

"I also said that's all fun and games unless we have gunpowder. Can't build a bomb without an accelerant."

"I don't want to build a bomb. I want to blast off."

Raven's lips twisted into a crafty grin as she followed the blonde's train of thought.

"Barricade ourselves inside the ship. Blast the engines on. A ring of fire explodes outside."

Clarke's azure eyes sparkled wickedly.

"Can you do it?"

"The wiring's a mess down there, but if you give me enough time… hell yeah I can serve you barbequed Grounders on a silver plate."

"Brilliant." Bellamy smirked and Clarke met his impressed stare with a smile of her own.

"Raven and I will work on this. You organize the gunners and the rest of the camp. The Grounder army will be here by nightfall. We have precious hours left to prepare."

* * *

Bellamy checked in via walkie-talkie with the three foxholes and Derek posted at the gate before taking the safety off his weapon and kneeling next to Miller in the dirt. He was at the left foxhole, entrusting the right foxhole to Jasper and the mid foxhole to Octavia. He had objected, of course, but his sister was having none of it and she repeated his speech with amusement before flying into the tunnels to reach the mid foxhole after two of the other guys.

"She thinks she's a freaking samurai." Bellamy complained to Miller, who only laughed.

"Good, we need that kind of strength around here."

Bellamy watched the still woods with bated breath. He was terrified of this war. He put up a brave front because he was the leader and that was his duty but inside he was a mess. He couldn't bear the thought of losing his little sister or the girl he'd loved since the Ark. Clarke and Octavia were his everything and he'd be damned if Grounder scum laid a hand on his girls.

"Movement by the right foxhole!" Jasper said too loudly into the walkie-talkie.

"Here we go." Bellamy said as figures rustled the trees by his foxhole.

* * *

The situation had gone from grave to apocalyptic in a span of five minutes as the mines began reacting to the incoming Grounders, the gunners began wasting their ammo, and Raven passed out after claiming that she couldn't feel her legs.

Clarke had been listening to the mechanic's instructions as she searched for the module box and main wires of the drop ship when Raven's voice drifted and ultimately faded completely. Clarke rushed up the ladder and gasped at the crumpled form of her friend. She had told her the crucial step of the process was splicing the main wire to connect it to a manual override and set off the explosion Clarke had planned. Unfortunately, Clarke had no idea how to go about splicing a wire and if Raven couldn't do it…

"Jasper!" Clarke pressed the button on Raven's walkie-talkie. "Report to the drop ship."

"Jasper's covering the right foxhole, Clarke. We can't let the Grounders pass us." Bellamy's gruff voice crackled though the speaker.

"The ground is mined, Bellamy. This is our priority. Jasper, get back here now." Clarke ordered, releasing the communication device as she moved to prop the unconscious girl up.

"What the hell happened?" Finn rushed in and knelt at his girlfriend's side anxiously.

"Where were you?" Clarke asked.

"At the gates. They were adding some fallen trees to the wall. I don't have a gun on me, that's the best I can do until the Grounders cross our boundary lines at the foxholes. What happened to her?"

"The bullet lodged into her spine. I'm not sure if the induced paralysis is temporary or…permanent. Jasper's coming to finish the job. You need to help me move her to the upper level of the ship. If the fight moves too close, she can't be in the line of fire."

"You said the paralysis might be permanent, but what if the bullet moves further? Cuts off all the spinal nerves and gets to the central nervous system until she's a mindless vegetable?"

"Finn-

"I won't stand by and watch her die."

"I wouldn't ask you to." She said.

"I know what I have to do." He brushed a stay lock of Raven's hair out of her face and stood.

"What? Where are you going, Finn?" Clarke couldn't move as Raven's body was leaning on hers and Finn backed away as if she'd try to stop him.

"Lincoln's cave. If he had the antidote to cure me from poison, he must have other remedies and herbal mixtures."

"You're hoping to find a blood coagulant? Something to jump start her bloodstream and move the bullet away? Finn, you have no idea if Lincoln had anything close to that and his cave is miles away. What if you don't make it?"

"I have to try."

And then he was gone and Clarke's heart ached at the loss of another person she cared about. The girl beside her was fading away, Finn was outside the gates and exposed to the Grounders, Bellamy and Octavia were at the foxholes potentially risking their lives first, and Monty was who knows where. War was the biggest evil she'd ever faced. And she hated it.

* * *

After the gunfire rang out from the foxholes (the Grounders were smarter than they were and made them waste ammunition fruitlessly) it was too quiet. Monroe had fled and Miller had followed. Bellamy was making his way back to the main camp prepared to make his final stand at the gates, but then the gigantic Grounder was on him and his head spun from the blow to his head. He raised his arm to cover his face (to the last second he was a bit vain) but the lethal hit never came.

The Grounder groaned and collapsed to one side, a blade retracted from its stomach.

"Admit it, you want one." Octavia giggled, brandishing her katana smugly.

Bellamy's smile was ripped from his face by the arrow that lodged itself in Octavia's leg. She cried out and fell forward into his arms.

"Shit, hold on, O. I'll take you back to camp." He managed to lift her and carry her off to one side of the forest but she struggled in his hold and he sank to the undergrowth, releasing her thin frame. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Being realistic. Leave me here and get yourself back to camp."

"You're deluded if you think I'll leave you to get slaughtered by Grounders."

"Bell, get back to Clarke. The camp needs you more than I do. I saved your life. I played a part in this battle. It's okay."

Before Bellamy could adamantly refuse, a new disturbance brought the Blakes' attention to the battle raging in front of them.

"Reapers." Octavia gasped, recognizing them from the sketches in Lincoln's book.

Bellamy watched as the tribe of Reapers howled before charging at the incoming Grounders.

"What the hell is happening?"

"A stupid idea with more merit than I'd initially awarded it." A deep voice responded and Bellamy aimed his gun at the sound before relaxing his trigger finger when he saw Lincoln.

"Lincoln! I thought you were dead!" Octavia pushed herself into his chest and whimpered at the jolt it caused the arrow in her leg.

"You're hit." Lincoln said analyzing the depth of the wound. "I need to get you out of here."

"No, I'm not going anywhere."

"Yes, O, you are." Bellamy spoke with resounding finality and Octavia stared at him openmouthed.

"I have to see this through."

"I need you safe, Octavia." He whispered and the emotion in his voice gave her pause so he continued. "I owe you my life. You were amazing out there, but the war is over for you. Go with him."

Her cerulean eyes began to tear and she wiped angrily at her face before grabbing her brother's hands desperately.

"What about you?"

"Don't worry about me. I got this." He scoffed and she rolled her eyes playfully, laughing through the fresh wave of tears. "O, I told you my life ended the day you were born but I was wrong. My life only began when you were born. You made me who I am today and I owe you all I have."

"Same here. God, I love you big brother." She breathed, pulling him into a hug and ignoring any pain in her leg.

"May we meet again." He said, pressing a kiss into her dirty forehead.

"May we meet again." She said, her voice cracking on the final word.

"Take care of her. With everything you have." Bellamy spoke to Lincoln and the taller man simply nodded.

"Have no doubts of that."

"Was that you?" Bellamy gestured to the bloodbath outside the camp gates and Lincoln's lips twitched.

"A gift."

"Thank you." Bellamy said sincerely and the other man knew his gratitude was more for Octavia's life than the Reapers.

"Good luck, Bellamy Blake."

Octavia was sobbing quietly into Lincoln's shoulder but she didn't break eye contact with her brother until she was too far to see his dark figure through the trees.

Bellamy dried his own tears and turned back to the battle that had died down. The Reapers had served their purpose but the distraction was fleeting and the Grounders still had the numbers to annihilate the camp. Bellamy looked for the nearest tunnel and cursed. If he managed to slip through unseen, what would be waiting for him on the other side?

It didn't matter, though. Now that he was sure Octavia his safe, he had only one priority. A certain blonde princess who held his heart in an iron grip. He refused to die without guaranteeing her safety. Bellamy was the martyr type and he wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice himself as long as Clarke survived.  
Even if she disagreed.

* * *

Clarke scanned the drop ship anxiously and dug her nails into her hands to contain the scream of frustration. She had gathered all the leftover kids into the ship as Jasper fumbled with the switch to activate the engines. He was cursing and muttering wildly but she barely heard. Finn had just returned, holding Raven's medicine in one hand and informing her of Lincoln's intervention with the Reapers. He'd granted them some time, but would it be enough?

One of the gunners-who had long ago lost his weapon- was reaching out to close the ramp of the ship but Clarke shot up like a rocket and pushed him aside.

"Wait! We're still missing people. Bellamy's not back yet."

The kid's eyes were wide and Clarke realized her voice had morphed into a feral growl. She shook her head and turned back to the small group of teenagers-the remnants of the 100. Her eyes fell on her three friends and she blinked to contain her tears. Jasper was hell-bent on connecting the wires and he would give a frantic glance at the door every now and then, knowing the lives of his people rested on his hands. He had lost his best friend and even if Monty was alive they had no way of finding him, but Jasper knew it wasn't time to mourn or cry. He had grown from an awkward former pothead to a valuable soldier and a trusted friend to both her and Bellamy.

Clarke looked at Finn next where he was bent by Raven, feeding her from a glass vial-presumably the blood coagulant. She had found him cute but her relationship with Bellamy had removed anything further from the table. He had flirted with her once, but his heart was all Raven's and Clarke was glad they had reunited. She liked Finn as a person, but she found herself loving Raven. The mechanic was a brilliant and beautiful wiseass girl who proved her loyalty and dedication at every turn. Clarke wished she had gotten more time to develop their friendship but since her arrival on Earth, there'd been struggle after struggle.

Clarke rushed to kneel before Finn and Raven, capturing his attention.

"Take care of them. You and Raven can lead them to whatever comes next. I need you to promise me you'll do this for me."

Finn was taken aback by her request but she cut him off before he could speak.

"Bellamy's out there and I won't leave him to die. You of all people know we don't leave our loved ones behind. If I don't make it back, you have to take control. I trust you and Raven to do this. Please, Finn, promise me."

He held her gaze and nodded.

"I promise."

She squeezed his hand once and jumped up before jogging out of the drop ship. Her name was called by more than one but she did not turn back.

"What are you doing?!"

Miller. She hadn't seen him rush after her but he was holding her arm tightly with the hand not on the bulky rifle.

"Let me go. Get back inside and close the door." She spoke calmly but her attention was diverted to the scent playing out around them.

The few guards with bullets left were fighting off the Grounders that were trickling more and more through the broken gate. She hadn't seen Bellamy yet, which meant she wasn't going anywhere.

"Clarke, you can't save everybody!"

"Bellamy isn't _everybody_!"

"If you get yourself killed, what will happen to those lost kids inside, huh?"

"They have you. And Finn and Raven. And Jasper. Bellamy needs me now."

"What are you gonna do with no gun and no weapon?!"

Clarke didn't bother replying because out of the corner of her eye she had finally seen him.

"Bellamy." She said his name in a hurried hush and Miller followed her gaze, landing on his leader.

"He won't make it." He said and Clarke knew Miller was right.

Tristan had cut his way through the throng of gunners and spotting Bellamy, he had immediately lifted his powerful blade to strike.

"Bellamy, run!" she screamed and though her voice momentarily distracted him, he did just that.

Or he tried to before Tristan hit with the thick hilt of the sword, sending him crashing to the ground.

"No!" she cried.

She was rushing forward instinctively but was held back by Miller's arms around her waist. He had dropped his gun in the movement and Clarke clawed at his arms as Bellamy fought to push Tristan off him, narrowly avoiding the lethal swing of his sword.

"Clarke, we have to get inside."

As Miller pulled her back towards the ramp of the drop ship, Clarke saw Tristan raise his arm. Bellamy was gasping for breath and this time he was too weak to raise his arms and push the incoming blade away. Clarke didn't hesitate to slam her head back into Miller's unsuspecting face. The second his grip loosened, she grabbed his fallen gun and jumped over the debris in her path heading straight for Tristan. She fumbled with the gun as she ran but once her fingers found the trigger she aimed and shot at the Grounder lieutenant's head.

* * *

Miller, clutching his fractured, bloody nose slammed his hand on the lever that closed the drop ship and watched as the outside world was slowly shut out. He was turning to check on Jasper's progress when a whirlwind of blonde hair catapulted in. At first he thought it was Clarke but that was impossible. He had seen her running towards Bellamy and she wouldn't have time to jump inside. When the woman lifted her face revealing exotic features, he recognized the Grounder's leader from Bellamy's descriptions of the ruthless female.

She had a weapon out but said weapon was knocked out of her hand almost instantaneously. The remaining kids assaulted her, kicking her to the ground and punching every part of her until she was hollering in pain.

"Stop! Let her go!" Finn had risen and pushed through the throng of kids with an intensity in his voice never heard before. "We are _not _Grounders. We are more than that. Bellamy and Clarke didn't die for us to throw away what they built and become the monsters we were fighting."

The kids backed away from Anya as she coughed up blood, but Finn didn't spare her a glance.

"Everything we knew is changing. Our camp will be rebuilt but things will never be the same do you understand that? We will survive this battle, this war, but we have to work together and keep our sanity. More importantly, we must retain our humanity."

The silence that followed his words was pregnant with guilt and fear, but Finn knew he'd gotten through to them. Clarke would be pleased. Hell, even Bellamy would be smirking in amusement as the goody-goody 'Spacewalker' commanded the wave of reckless teenage delinquents.

Finn could picture the arrogant laugh the older boy would give. 'Guess you prove me wrong. You're not the cowardly dick I thought you were,' Bellamy would say and that would be the closest thing to praise Finn would get.

"It's ready." Jasper said, his voice equal parts satisfaction and doubt.

"Do it." Finn said.

Jasper slammed down on the wires and outside the drop ship fire reigned over the land, sending its ring of flames out to kill any human in a mile-long radius.

After the screeches of agony and the crackle of burning flesh died down there was only silence.

Finn buried his face in Raven's dark hair and for the first time in his life, he prayed. He was no believer, had never been, would probably never be, but it wasn't about theology anymore. He prayed for Bellamy and Clarke, for Monty, for the kids who died for the camp, and finally he prayed for the kids huddled around him. This was all that was left. The Ark was floating through space carrying dead bodies and the 100 had become the Barely 40.

Jasper spoke from beside him, his voice hoarse but remarkably steady.

"What now?"

"Now we lower the ramp and face our future." Finn said.

* * *

As the remaining members of the 100 prepared to exit the drop ship three other ships had made their descent to the Earth, holding the Ark survivors, among them Dr. Abby Griffin and Commander Marcus Kane. The Ark survivors shuffled out of the vessel with unmitigated awe at the beauty around them, lost in the surface of the environment.

They had no idea (how could they) that mere miles away the kids they'd been bent on rescuing were being kidnapped by the mysterious Mountain Men. They had no idea what dangers the Earth harbored and how many lives it had stolen. They had no idea there were tribe structures and underground government facilities. They had no idea Reapers hunted in packs and lay scattered throughout the lands, waiting to find their next living, breathing prey.

But the lake stretching out before them sure was pretty.

* * *

Clarke opened her eyes, expecting blinding brightness and the elusive fields of heaven. Instead, there was darkness and a suffocating heat. She vaguely wondered if this was hell but decided against it when her other senses awakened and she tasted ashes on her tongue and inhaled the damp scent of the tunnels Lincoln had showed her. She sat up and groaned, her hand moving to the back of her head and flinching when her fingers ran over an enormous bump. She took stock of the rest of her body and thankfully, apart from cuts and bruises, there were no broken bones or serious wounds.

"Everything check out there, Doc?"

The teasing murmur came from behind and she nearly gave herself whiplash turning her head to convince herself it really was Bellamy.

And it was. He was leaning against the tunnel wall, arms crossed over his half-burnt jacket his eyes narrowed on her. She pushed herself to a standing position and launched herself at him. He caught her easily and though he had examined his own injuries and deduced that various ribs were bruised, he didn't think of any pain as his hands tangled in her golden locks and nose buried into his exposed beck.

"We're not dead." She breathed out and Bellamy pushed her back so he could meet her eyes.

She was surprised at the blazing anger in his expression.

"We almost were. _Both_ of us. Odd, I would have sworn you were safe and sound in the drop ship but no, you're barreling towards the enemy with absolutely no regard for yourself. What the fuck, Clarke? You nearly got yourself killed!" he shook her slightly and she wobbled on her feet. "As it is, you might have a head injury."

His voice softened as the hands in her hair ran lightly over the same bump she'd felt before.

"What happened?" she asked quietly.

"Your shot missed. The first time… You used ten bullets on the bastard. He might have choked on his own blood. The drop ship was closing and I knew we had seconds to get out of the blast range. I pulled you into the tunnels but we'd barely made it before the fire came alive. Barbequed Grounders like Raven promised. Anyway, the force of the blast hit us from behind. You slammed into the wall and I was knocked out against the ground. I woke up a while ago and carried you to this part of the tunnels. I think we're near the center of the forest, but I can't be sure."

"You don't know what happened to the others?"

"I wasn't going to leave you alone, Clarke. We'll go back to the camp when you're ready for it. I'm serious about that head injury. You hit the wall hard." His eyes darkened again and she could tell exactly how mad he was by the shade of his usually chocolate-brown eyes.

She was looking at pure onyx now, which meant Bellamy was beyond pissed.

"You're an idiot, you know that? The camp needed you there."

Through the pounding in her head and the slight ringing in her ears, Clarke felt her own rage increase until she couldn't contain it.

"You're the idiot, Bellamy! If you thought I would cower in the drop ship and let you die right outside those gates, you don't know who I am. God, you selfish, overprotective bastard I hate you!"

Bellamy was stunned into silence and he could only blink as Clarke released the day's pent-up emotions.

"Why is it fair for you to risk your life to save me but not for me to do the same? Why is my life worth more than yours? As for the camp needing me, that may be true but you know what? I don't care! They can go on without me but I can't go on without _you_!" she took a deep breath to gather herself and her voice returned to normalcy. "Bellamy, I love you. I love you as much as I hate you and frankly the feelings conflict when you yell at me and try to boss me around, but I love you more than anything and I couldn't stand around while you were fighting to the death nearby. I couldn't."

Bellamy sighed and pulled her into his arms again, this time taking her lips in his until their breathing synchronized and their worlds stabilized again.

"I love you, my brave princess. Thank you for coming after me."

"Always." She vowed.

He kissed her again and let his hands run over her as if checking she was really in one piece. He stopped at her right wrist and smiled.

"Your bracelet's intact. That's fine crafting right there."

She looked down at the bracelet Bellamy had carved so beautifully and gifted her with on her birthday and huffed a laugh.

"How do you find the time to feed that ego? Seriously."

He glared at her but there was only love in his eyes and she smiled before wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her face in his chest.

"I'm so glad you're alive."

He rubbed his hands down her back and through the tangles of her blonde hair.

"Me too, Princess."

"Can we just have ten minutes to ourselves? Ten minutes before we go back to worrying about the camp and the Grounders and whatever else is coming?"

"Of course." Bellamy replied.

He slid to the ground, taking Clarke with him and let her press into his body as they held each other because for ten minutes they would pretend there was no one else on Earth but them. Sappy and cliché? Hell yes, but Bellamy didn't care.

Ten minutes later, reality would set in. Their friends would all be missing, put in white cells on Mt. Weather, and being used as science experiments.

They still had ten minutes, though.

** TO BE CONTINUED**

**Ok, my readers, that was season 1. This is the longest chapter I've ever written and it is 1 AM so if there are typos and misspells I am deeply sorry! I had to get it out there because the ideas were plaguing my brain! I hope you liked it and please leave me feedback on this chapter. It was one of my favorites to write.**

**This story will be back in October with Season 2 of the 100. Check out my other 2 Bellarke stories! Ciao for now!**


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